PROCEEDINGS OF “ADVANCES IN PULMONARY REHABILITATION” Biology of muscle impairment in COPD

Peripheral muscle dysfunction is a common manifestation of advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and several other chronic diseases. Although the importance of this problem has been overlooked for several years, recent research indicates that peripheral muscle dysfunction may have important clinical consequences such as impaired functional status [1], poor quality of life [2], and reduced survival [3] independently of the impairment in lung function. In this brief summary of a presentation that was done at the 4th International conference on advances in pulmonary rehabilitation and management of chronic respiratory failure, we will insist on the clinical relevance and possible mechanisms of peripheral muscle wasting in patients with COPD although we recognize that the peripheral muscle in this disease is not only affected in quantity but also in quality.