Can emphysema progress to cor pulmonale?

Emphysema does not necessarily progress to cor pulmonale. If patients receive systematic treatment under a doctor's guidance after developing emphysema, the condition can generally be stabilized completely. However, if patients fail to seek timely intervention and continue smoking or experience recurrent infections after developing emphysema, they may develop pulmonary hypertension due to hypoxemia, which could lead to cor pulmonale.