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Review
. 2010 Jun 17;11(1):79.
doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-11-79.

Outcome measures in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): strengths and limitations

Thomas Glaab  1 , Claus Vogelmeier, Roland Buhl
Affiliations
Review

Outcome measures in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): strengths and limitations

Thomas Glaab et al. Respir Res. .

Abstract

Current methods for assessing clinical outcomes in COPD mainly rely on physiological tests combined with the use of questionnaires. The present review considers commonly used outcome measures such as lung function, health status, exercise capacity and physical activity, dyspnoea, exacerbations, the multi-dimensional BODE score, and mortality. Based on current published data, we provide a concise overview of the principles, strengths and weaknesses, and discuss open questions related to each methodology. Reviewed is the current set of markers for measuring clinically relevant outcomes with particular emphasis on their limitations and opportunities that should be recognized when assessing and interpreting their use in clinical trials of COPD.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Outcome measures relevant for the evaluation of COPD management.
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