The heart and lungs must work in close harmony for the cardiopulmonary system to function effectively. Numerous physiological pathways connect these two organs, leading to frequent coexistence of cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses. In particular, it is now recognised that individuals with COPD have considerably higher rates (typically two to five times) of cardiovascular comorbidities, including ischaemic heart disease, cardiac dysrhythmia, heart failure, pulmonary circulation diseases and arterial diseases, compared to those without COPD [1, 2]. In light of these relationships, risk mitigation, monitoring, diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitute an important component of care for a COPD patient [3–5].