ABSTRACT
The right ventricle lies at the interface of the pulmonary and systemic circulation, thus at the crossroads of the lungs and the heart. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can have considerable effects on cardiac function, and the heart, in turn, can reciprocally affect the course of COPD. The many effects of COPD on the pulmonary blood vessels, right heart, and left heart are now being elucidated (1-6).
