title: [Prognostic factors in COPD: the head, the legs and the breath!].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Today COPD is generally regarded as a generalised illness starting in the respiratory system. Numerous extra-pulmonary manifestations and a range of co-morbidities complicate the natural history of the disease. They aggravate the symptoms, affect the quality of life and increase the risks of hospital admission and death. Recently a new step has been taken with the recognition of prognostic factors that are independent of bronchial obstruction.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The true predictive factors of survival in patients with COPD are effort intolerance, loss of independence, the level of physical activity, diminution of body mass index, loss of muscle mass or quadriceps strength, dispense, anxiety, depression and quality of life. Different tools, such as the BODE index or its modifications which integrate the predictive value of several manifestations of COPD, are now validated for the estimation of life expectancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These new data are a further advance in the understanding of the disease and the optimisation of the diagnosis, evaluation and management of patients.
authors.affiliation: Fédération ANTADIR, 66 boulevard Saint-Michel, Paris, France. annabelle.couillard@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Couillard
mesh_terms: D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015431:Weight Loss