Optimizing COPD Care in Belgium: A Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Risk Management
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a major health and economic challenge in Belgium, affecting approximately 800,000 individuals, half of whom remain undiagnosed. Beyond respiratory morbidity, COPD patients face substantial cardiopulmonary (CP) risk-encompassing severe exacerbations and cardiovascular (CV) events-that is often under-recognized and insufficiently addressed due to limited clinical awareness, fragmented care, and the absence of national guidance. Methods: A multidisciplinary Belgian taskforce (general practitioners, pulmonologists, cardiologists, pharmacists, epidemiologists) convened through structured workshops and iterative consensus-building to develop a pragmatic, evidence-informed care pathway. The recommendations focus on COPD patients with at least one moderate or severe exacerbation, who are at heightened CP risk. Results: This consensus introduces an integrated, stepwise framework that positions CP risk as a central component of COPD management after exacerbation and operationalizes it across primary care, hospitalization, and post-exacerbation follow-up. Core elements include systematic and proactive CP risk identification in primary care, standardized diagnostic workups during hospitalization, and multidisciplinary discharge planning. Pharmacological strategies combine eosinophil-guided inhaler therapy with guideline-directed CV treatment, while non-pharmacological measures reinforce smoking cessation, vaccination, physical activity, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Clear referral thresholds between primary care, pulmonology, and cardiology are defined, supported by patient education and digital monitoring tools. Conclusion: This Belgian consensus complements international guidelines by consolidating fragmented recommendations into coherent, actionable algorithms that bridge gaps in routine practice. Its contribution lies in translating emerging evidence into structured, real-world pathways that integrate respiratory and cardiac care. Adoption of this framework may help reduce exacerbations, improve CV outcomes, and support multidisciplinary COPD care in Belgium.
Source: International Journal of COPD
DOI: 10.2147/copd.s578651
Authors: Naomi Michotte, Fabian Demeure, Julien Guiot, Sander Trenson, Michiel Vanfleteren, Lies Lahousse, Jo Raskin, Didier Cataldo, Thérèse Lapperre, Eric Marchand, Mathias Leys, Wim Janssens, Marie Bruyneel, Lowie Vanfleteren, Eef Vanderhelst, Pieter Goeminne, Stefan Teughels, Muriel Lins, Inès Van Rossem, Rudi Peché
Institutions: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, CHU Dinant Godinne UCL Namur, University of Liège, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, AZ Sint-Jan, Erasmus MC, Ghent University, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Namur, Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences, UCLouvain, AZ Groeninge, Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Brugmann, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint-Pierre, Ghent University Hospital, Domus Medica, AZ Sint-Maarten, HUmani - CHU Charleroi-Chimay
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,836
OpenAlex ID: W7123344529