COPD/ emphysema stages range from mild to very severe. COPD is graded with the GOLD criteria, which uses spirometry results from forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). The GOLD stages are as follows: 🟣 Stage 1 (mild): FEV1 above 80% 🟣 Stage 2 (moderate): FEV1 between 50–79% 🟣 Stage 3 (severe): FEV1 between 30–49% 🟣 Stage 4 (very severe): FEV1 below 30% Your pulmonologist will also consider the severity of your symptoms, such as breathlessness, and risk o

Many of you have shared that you worry about your life expectancy with COPD. While COPD does affect your life expectancy, many people with this condition can live into their 70s, 80s, and 90s if it's mild and well-managed. How COPD affects you varies greatly from person to person, and several factors will influence how long you can live with this condition. The BODE index can help with predicting this. BODE stands for: 🟣 Body mass index (BMI) 🟣 Airway obstruction 🟣 Dyspnoea (Difficulty breath