Comorbidities and Systemic Effects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Although primarily a lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CORD) is now recognized to have extrapulmonary effects on distal organs, the so-called systemic effects and comorbidities of CORD. Skeletal muscle dysfunction, nutritional abnormalities including weight loss, cardiovascular complications, metabolic complications, and osteoporosis, among others, are all well-recognized associations in CORD. These extrapulmonary effects add to the burden of mortality and morbidity in COPD and therefore should be actively looked for, assessed, and treated.