Body mass index of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with pulmonary function and exacerbations: a retrospective real world research

In China, the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is high both in urban and rural area (1,2). The morbidity and mortality of COPD have a trend of increase in recent years. The previous COPD researches demonstrated that frequent exacerbations and accelerated decline of pulmonary function could lead to disease progression (3). Current evidence showed some drugs and interventions could partially delay COPD progression. So it is essential to find indicators to predict the prognosis and outcome of COPD