If you join this study, you will fill out surveys and do tests to check your heart and lungs while you are resting and exercising. To check how your heart works, doctors will place two small tubes (called catheters): one in your wrist (arterial catheter) and one in your neck (pulmonary artery catheter / conductance catheter). These help us see how your heart works and allow us to take blood samples while you are resting and exercising. You will do different types of exercise. You will wear a face mask that measures your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels while you exercise. At the next visit, you will get an ultrasound that takes pictures of your heart. This will also be done while resting and after exercise. You will wear a small activity monitor for 7 days to track your movement. If you have not had a CT scan recently, you may be asked to get one. You can also choose to join a 12-week exercise program. This is optional. If you do join, you will repeat the exercise and ultrasound tests to see how the exercise affects your heart. You will have two visits. The first visit will take about 5 1/5 hours. The second visit will take about 2 hours. You will get up to $400 for the first part of the study. If you also join the exercise program, you will get up to $1,100 total.

Who can Participate

You may join this study if you are at least 18 years of age or older and have COPD (based on pulmonary function test measurements).

Study ID