From airways to arteries: cardiovascular and kidney risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and its prevalence is projected to rise substantially by 2050.1 Clinical care remains organised around exacerbations, symptoms, and lung function, whereas comorbidities, including cardiovascular and kidney disease, often remain outside respiratory pathways. The concept of cardiopulmonary risk was proposed to address this imbalance,2 but evidence supporting individual cardiovascular and kidney outcomes has remained fragmented.