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Figure 1 The top panel (A) depicts the resting cardiopulmonary abnormalities that are responsible for a restrictive ventilatory defect in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). When patients with CHF exercise, restrictive ventilatory defect, increased dead space (V_D/V_T) and carbon dioxide production (VCO₂), and decreased partial arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) lead to ventilation/perfusion mismatch and worsened gas exchange and lung-diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). The bottom panel (B) depicts the pulmonary abnormalities that are responsible for obstructive ventilatory defect in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When these patients exercise, obstructive ventilatory defect, dynamic hyperinflation, increased respiratory rate and PaCO₂ as well as decreased partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) lead to increased ventilation/perfusion mismatch, decreased gas exchange, and DLCO that compound the effects of CHF on these same parameters (CHF+COPD). = increased; = decreased; = unchanged.

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