[Severity of COPD--a broader prognostic assessment is necessary]

Clinical manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and progress of disease are heterogeneous. A single parameter such as lung function is insufficient to capture manifestations of COPD and to estimate the prognosis of patients. A number of additional parameters such as level of physical activity, cardiovascular co-morbidity or history of exacerbations should be considered. If a validated assessment including the most important prognostic parameters becomes available, COPD management could become more individualized and patient-centered than it currently is.