Cardiovascular Assessment and Treatment During COPD Exacerbation to Improve Diagnosis and Outcomes

Overview

This is a research study involving patients hospitalized for COPD flare-ups. Patients will be assigned using a non-randomized, sequential allocation strategy (a control cohort followed by an intervention cohort) to two groups: one group will only see a pulmonologist (lung doctor), and the other group will also be seen by a cardiologist (heart doctor) during their hospital stay. Both groups will fill out a questionnaire, and the pulmonologist will review their lung disease, adjust their treatment, and recommend follow-up care. The cardiologist will also assess the second group for heart diseases (like high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or heart failure) and start or adjust heart treatment if needed. Both groups will be followed up by phone 1, 3, 6 and 12 months later to check for changes in treatment, new heart problems, COPD flare-ups, or death.

This is a single-center, prospective study involving patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation. Eligible patients will be identified either by the internal medicine department doctors or by reviewing the admission diagnoses of hospitalized patients in the hospital's database. After obtaining informed consent, the patients will be assigned into one of two sequential cohorts (a control cohort followed by an intervention cohort). Both groups will complete a background questionnaire and will be assessed by a pulmonologist during the hospitalization, who will focus on their lung disease, optimize basic treatment, and recommend follow-up as needed. The intervention group will undergo an additional evaluation by a cardiologist during the hospitalization, who will check for cardiovascular diseases (such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, or heart failure) and adjust or start treatment according to new or existing diagnoses. Both groups will receive follow-up phone calls about 1, 3, 6, and 12 months later to evaluate any changes in treatment following the intervention, new diagnoses or events of cardiovascular diseases, COPD exacerbations, and mortality.