Chronic cor pulmonale

Chronic cor pulmonale is a heart disease caused by chronic lesions of the lung tissue, pulmonary arteries, or thoracic cage that lead to structural and functional abnormalities of the lung tissue, resulting in increased pulmonary vascular resistance and elevated pulmonary artery pressure, causing right heart dilation and hypertrophy, with or without right heart failure. It can occur in the elderly, but in most cases it develops gradually from middle age. Elderly cor pulmonale is mostly derived from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its incidence is very high, especially among smokers, and it shows an increasing trend year by year.