Final answer:
True, a complication of COPD is cardiac failure, as the increased effort to breathe strains the heart, which can lead to right-sided heart failure or cor pulmonale.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or False: A complication of COPD is cardiac failure. The answer is true. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that results in poor airflow and can lead to a variety of complications, including cardiac failure. COPD affects the lungs, leading to a breakdown of connective tissues, which reduces the elasticity and number of alveoli. This makes it difficult for patients to exhale fully, causing air to become trapped in the lungs and potentially leading to low oxygen levels and an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. Over time, the increased effort to breathe can put extra strain on the heart, particularly the right side, which is responsible for pumping blood to the lungs.
This can lead to a condition known as cor pulmonale or right-sided heart failure, where the heart can't pump with sufficient force to transport oxygenated blood efficiently. The physiological changes in both heart failure and COPD can complicate each other since heart failure can further impair oxygen delivery to the tissues and COPD can exacerbate the stress on the heart. Therefore, in patients with COPD, cardiac failure is indeed a possible and serious complication.