COPD & Cardiovascular Disease

For my STEAM project, I created a drawing to depict and further explain the effects disease can have on the function and structure of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. More specifically, I was interested in showing the relationships between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that more than 20% of patients with COPD experience heart failure. I created this drawing in hopes of displaying the difference between a healthy lung and a lung of someone with COPD. The left side of the lung shows bronchioles and alveoli that are healthy while the right side of the lung shows thick and narrow bronchioles that have excess mucus. The heart I drew is meant to give recognition to the fact that these two diseases tend to coexist. It has been shown that early detection of both diseases can help to reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients.