The heart disease  that is the result of pulmonary hypertension and takes the form of varying combinations of dilatation, hypertrophy, and dysfunction of the right ventricle, as well as the later stage of overt right-sided congestive heart failure.

Symptoms: Dyspnea & leg edema in COPD patients

Diagnosis:

• dyspnea, leg edema, right-sided S3
• hypokinesis on echocardiography or radionuclide angiography.
• a favorable response to treatment with diuretics
• left ventricular failure may also be diagnosed clinically in some instances

Treatment:

• Diuretics
• Chronic oxygen administration
• Digitalis is often considered to be ineffective in the treatment of cor pulmonale
• Vasodilators also appear to produce relatively little improvement