Can we detect and treat hidden heart disease in people with COPD?

A randomised, double-blind placebo controlled trial to test if a beneficial effect of beta-blockers on exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is restricted to those patients with occult heart disease

Heart disease and the lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often occur together. But often, people with COPD may not be aware that they have any heart problems. Beta blockers are often used to treat people with heart disease. Researchers have found that, in people with COPD, beta blockers may prevent sudden deteriorations in their breathing. Dr Dana Dawson is leading a clinical study to investigate whether the people who benefit from beta blockers may have a hidden, undiagnosed heart condition. She will study a group of 900 people with COPD and look for hidden heart disease using a combination of blood tests and echocardiogram (ECG) to identify which patients would benefit from beta blockers. At the end of the study, she hopes to show that beta blockers can help to relieve symptoms in people with COPD because they are treating an underlying heart condition. This will ensure that, in the future, people with COPD who are suffering frequent breathing problems will be tested for underlying heart disease, and prescribed the best treatment.