Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known for development of severe cardiovascular co-morbidities. Systemic inflammation during acute exacerbations of COPD (AE-COPD) is thought to play a role in development of cardiovascular disease. Platelets contribute to acute cardiovascular events and atherosclerosis. When platelets are activated, they form complexes with monocytes. These platelet-monocyte complexes (PMCs) are an early process in atherothrombosis and promote inflammation. In COPD, platelet function in AE-COPD is scarcely studied. This study aims to address this gap by investigating platelet function and coagulation in patients with AE-COPD and after convalescence.

Inclusion Criteria:

• >40 years
• Spirometry confirmed diagnosis of COPD (i.e. post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 70% and less than 12% on reversibility testing< Lower limit of normal (LLN))
• ≥10 pack years of smoking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of anti-coagulation or other platelet function inhibitors
• Asthma
• Chronic inflammatory diseases, for example rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases , systemic lupus erythematous (SLE)
• Malignancies

Patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD as defined by the Anthonisen criteria