慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）导致认知功能损害的具体机制尚未完全清楚，现在普遍接受的说法是阻塞性肺功能障碍导致机体血氧浓度下降和（或）血碳酸浓度升高，对神经细胞造成损伤，导致认知功能下降。在缺氧的应激条件下，机体应答释放出一系列炎症因子损伤作用于内皮细胞，随后造成神经元的损伤。近年的研究指出，慢性缺氧也是阿尔兹海默病的高危因素之一。鉴于COPD合并认知功能损害与阿尔兹海默病之间存在的共同危险因素，该文对二者的相关性作简要阐述。

Cognitive dysfunction is very common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, but the mechanism has not been illustrated clearly. The common thought internationally is that chronic hypoxia and/or hypercarbia play important roles in the process of neuron damage. Hypoxia activates body′s inflammatory response and releases a series inflammatory factors that contribute to the endothelial dysfunction and neuron damage. Recent years, many reports pointed out that the chronic hypoxia is a high risk factor in the progress of Alzheimer′s disease. The current studies of the relation between COPD with cognitive dysfunction and dementia of Alzheimer′s disease are reviewed in this article.