Underrecognized comorbidities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Joanna Miłkowska-Dymanowska,1,2 Adam J Białas,1,2 Anna Zalewska-Janowska,3 Pawel Górski,1,2 Wojciech J Piotrowski1,21Department of Pneumology and Allergy, 1st Chair of Internal Medicine, 2Healthy Aging Research Centre (HARC), 3Unit of Psychodermatology, Chair of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of Lodz, Lódz, PolandAbstract: COPD is associated with different comorbid diseases, and their frequency increases with age. Comorbidities severely impact costs of health care, intensity of symptoms, quality of life and, most importantly, may contribute to life span shortening. Some comorbidities are well acknowledged and established in doctors’ awareness. However, both everyday practice and literature searches provide evidence of other, less recognized diseases, which are frequently associated with COPD. We call them underrecognized comorbidities, and the reason why this is so may be related to their relatively low clinical significance, inefficient literature data, or data ambiguity. In this review, we describe rhinosinusitis, skin abnormalities, eye diseases, different endocrinological disorders, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Possible links to COPD pathogenesis have been discussed, if the data were available.Keywords: COPD, comorbidities, rhinosinusitis, endocrinological disorders, GERD