In people with heart failure Physicians are often also be a chronic constriction of the airways, called COPD. In many cases, this diagnosis is wrong, however, shows a study by Dr. Susanne Brenner, University Hospital Wuerzburg. The mistake can have fatal consequences: As several studies have shown, the standard therapy of heart failure COPD affect negatively and exacerbate existing symptoms.
Heart failure and COPD are two important similarities: smoking as a major risk factor, as a symptom of cough. “Because both conditions require opposite therapeutic approaches, the correct diagnosis of COPD as an additional condition in heart failure patients is particularly important,” says Brenner. But here it just hitch, as the doctor noted in their study.
An investigation of 630 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) some who had received an additional diagnosis of COPD. For all the lung function was examined outpatient, inpatient at 277 participants in addition, that during a hospital stay.
The result: In almost 70 percent of cases did not confirm the diagnosis of COPD. Although suffering acutely weak heart patients who were due to water retention in the lung tissue and in the hospital, often at an airway constriction, as occurs in COPD. “The narrowing but disappeared by diuretic drugs in half the cases again,” said Brenner.
For the physician is therefore clear that the airway narrowing is often only a temporary phenomenon, the concomitant heart failure without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is present. “To have a correct diagnosis of COPD in heart failure therefore, necessary for an adequate drainage therapy, special and repeated lung function tests”, says the expert.





















































