Nasal symptoms could identify patients at risk of COPD and cardiovascular disease, say Swedish researchers.
Data from nearly 2,000 subjects showed over half of patients with both COPD and heart disease had nasal symptoms – such as nasal blocking or rhinitis - compared to 36% of people with normal lung function and heart disease.
Over 60% of people with restricted lung function and heart disease also had nasal symptoms, suggesting they could be used as a marker for increased risk of heart disease and COPD in people yet to be diagnosed with either condition.
Author Dr Anne Lindberg, from the Sunderby Hospital in Sweden, said this was the first study to show such a link: ‘Clinicians need to understand the potential overlaps of these conditions when they are treating people with COPD.'
European Respiratory Society Annual Congress, abstract number 7131
