Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is divided into 5 groups according to the clinical Dana Point classification from 2008. Pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxemia like in chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) is assigned to Group 3. In patients with severe COPD, mild-to-moderate PH at rest has a high prevalence. PH is defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm) of ≥ 25 mmHg measured by right heart catheterization (RHC). Echocardiography represents an usable screening method for PH. However, right heart catheterization (RHC) is required to confirm PH because of the high error rate inherent in echocardiographic estimation of the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). Furthermore RHC provides the definite discrimination between pre- and postcapillary PH. Specific therapy with pulmonary vasodilators is not recommended for patients with PH due to COPD. Thus, confirmation of PH by RHC in patients with COPD is only required if the presumed severity of PH is disproportionate to the severity of underlying COPD, or if prominent signs of pulmonary arterial hypertension (Group 1 of Dana Point classification) exist. In order to avoid detention of a possibly beneficial specific therapy in such patients, they should be sent to a specialized PH center to establish the exact diagnosis.