Knowing COPD by heart: a relationship beyond comorbidity

Symposium
Chairs: O. C. Burghuber (Vienna, Austria), L. M. Fabbri (Modena, Italy)
Aims: The aims of this symposium are to:
- raise awareness about a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with COPD;
- explain the underlying mechanisms for an increased cardiovascular risk in COPD;
- discuss potential therapeutic implications of CVD in COPD.

Cardiovascular disease is a systemic manifestation of COPD: an introductory overview A. Valipour (Vienna, Austria)
Sympathetic activation in COPD as a link to cardiovascular disease S. Andreas (Immenhausen, Germany)
The impact of cardiovascular drugs in COPD A. Anzueto (San Antonio, United States of America)