Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term for a progressive lung disease which makes it difficult to breathe. The two main types of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which are usually caused by lung irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, dust, or inhaled chemicals. As a progressive disease that impairs breathing more and more over time, COPD does shorten lifespan. However, factors such as disease stage and lifestyle choices can mean greater longevity despite this diagnosis.

COPD Progression

The progression of COPD is tracked in stages. A higher stage will generally mean a shorter life expectancy, but the earlier the disease is diagnosed and treated the slower it will progress. The stage of COPD is determined by evaluating a patient's symptoms as well as their performance on lung function tests.

Stage 1: Mild COPD

This early stage of the disease is characterized by minor airflow problems and some coughing. The symptoms may be mild enough that the patient is not aware there is a problem.

Stage 2: Moderate COPD

With moderate COPD, the patient usually experiences more coughing and increased phlegm production. Lung function tests will clearly show some breathing impairment at this stage.

Stage 3: Severe COPD

At this stage of disease progression, shortness of breath will have a significant impact on quality of life. The patient typically experiences symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, and low activity tolerance. Lung function tests will show significant breathing impairment.

Stage 4: Very Severe COPD

Patients with very severe COPD experience shortness of breath which extremely impacts their quality of life and can even be life threatening. Patients at this stage may require oxygen therapy and typically have very low activity tolerance.

Determining Outlook with the BODE Index

The BODE Index is a tool physicians use to evaluate the overall health and survival outlook of patients with COPD. A patient's score on the BODE Index indicates the likelihood that they will be alive in four years. The BODE Index takes into account the following factors:

B- Body Mass Index

BMI is calculated based on a patient's height to weight ratio. People who have a BMI that is too low are considered underweight, which means a worse outlook for COPD.

O- Obstruction of the Airway

Airway obstruction is calculated using a ratio of two measurements:

• FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume at 1 Second): measure of the amount of air a patient can forcefully exhale in one second.
• FVC (Forced Vital Capacity): The total amount of air exhaled after a deep breath.

The ratio FEV1/FVC determines the degree of airway obstruction.

D- Dyspnea

The degree of dyspnea or shortness of breath is measured using a tool called the Modified MRC Dyspnea Index. This index evaluates a patient's shortness of breath at different levels of activity.

E- Exercise Tolerance

A patient's exercise tolerance is measured by the distance they are able to walk during a six-minute walk test.

Improving Outlook with COPD

Although a diagnosis of COPD can shorten lifespan, patients with this diagnosis can improve their outlook a number of ways:

• Starting treatment as early in the disease progression as possible
• Quitting smoking
• Preventing infections by getting immunizations for flu and pneumonia
• Exercising as tolerated
• Proper use of home oxygen

Top 5 Routes for "COPD Life Expectancy"

1. Lunginstitute.com This article discusses COPD prognosis, staging, treatment, and ways that life expectancy is predicted.
2. WebMD.com This article compares outcomes for early and late COPD and discusses what patients can do to improve their prognosis.
3. Everydayhealth.com This article discusses COPD staging in detail including symptoms and tests used to evaluate disease stage.
4. Verywell.com This link explains the BODE Index for predicting COPD survival rate in detail and discusses the scoring process.
5. Medscape.com This is an online calculator that patients can use to determine their BODE Index score and four-year survival probability.