Predicting Outcomes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

To the Editor: Celli and colleagues (March 4 issue) 1 propose the use of a new index (the BODE index) that has excellent predictive power with regard to outcome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The BODE index combines four variables: the body-mass index (B); the degree of airflow obstruction (O), assessed according to the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ); the degree of dyspnea (D) on the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; and exercise capacity (E), assessed as the distance walked in six minutes. We have found that the presence of the paradoxical inspiratory movement of . . .