Pulmonary Vasculature and Right Heart Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonay Disease

Pulmonary Vasculature and Right Heart Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonay Disease

The pulmonary vasculopathy and right heart dysfunction in COPD are drawing increasing attention these days. Recent researches show that pulmonary vasculopathy and right heart dysfunction relate to greater severity in COPD. Applying appropriate modalities for early detection of pulmonary vasculopathy and right heart dysfunction is of great importance. What's more, the interaction mechanism between pulmonary vasculature, right heart and COPD still needs to be further studied. The aim of our study is to develop an assessment system of pulmonary vasculopathy and right heart dysfunction in COPD patients and elucidate their impact on COPD course and outcome.

Inclusion Criteria:

• stable COPD patients

Exclusion Criteria:

• patents with other respiratory diseases and pulmonary hypertension other than group 3 PH;
• psychopath, addict or patients not able to coordinate;
• patients in pregnancy or breastfeeding;
• patients with limited life expectancy;
• patients with contraindiction for MRI or PET;
• patients having cerebrovascular events in 3 months;
• unstable COPD patients