Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in heart failure: accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Coincidence of COPD and heart failure (HF) is challenging as both diseases interact on multiple levels with each other, and thus impact significantly on diagnosis, disease severity classification, and choice of medical therapy. The current overview aims to educate caregivers involved in the daily management of patients with HF and (possibly) concurrent COPD in how to deal with clinically relevant issues such as interpreting spirometry, the potential role of extensive pulmonary function testing, and finally, the potential beneficial, but also detrimental effects of medication used for HF and COPD on either disease.