Cardiac dysfunction in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is often not detected by electrocardiogram and chest radiographs.

Background: Cardiac dysfunction is common in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), even in patients without clinically suspected cardiac disorders.

Aim: To investigate associations between electrocardiogram (ECG) and chest radiograph abnormalities and biochemical evidence of cardiac dysfunction (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin T) in patients hospitalised with exacerbations of COPD at Waikato Hospital.

Methods: Independent examiners, blinded to NT-proBNP and troponin T levels, assessed ECG for tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular hypertrophy and ischaemic changes in 389 patients and chest radiographs for signs of heart failure in 350 patients.

Effects of smoking cannabis on lung function.

Although cannabis (or marijuana) is the world's most widely-used illicit drug, there has been surprisingly little research into its effects on respiratory health. Part of the problem is the inherent difficulty of studying the long-term effects of an illegal habit. It has often been assumed that smoking cannabis will have similar long-term effects to smoking tobacco.