BODE index in COPD
Four components: body mass index, FEV1, mMRC dyspnoea and the six-minute walk test. Total 0-10, split into quartiles.
Updated · Methodology
About this calculator
The index combines four measures, each independently linked to survival in COPD: body mass, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise capacity. Together they predict mortality better than FEV1 alone, which was the central finding of Celli's 2004 paper. Two scoring details deserve attention. Body mass index enters inverted: points come from LOW weight, 21 or below, because loss of muscle mass in COPD is linked to a worse prognosis while excess weight produces no such effect. Dyspnoea is not scored directly: mMRC grades 0 and 1 both give zero points, and the scale starts counting from the level at which a person walks more slowly than their peers. The total splits into quartiles of 0-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-10, and mortality rises from the first quartile to the fourth. A practical limitation: the index needs a six-minute walk test, which is not available everywhere, and the result depends on corridor length, instructions and patient motivation. The index is used for selecting patients for pulmonary rehabilitation and transplantation; it is not used for routine choice of inhaled therapy, which the GOLD classification covers.
Source
Formula version: celli-2004-v1
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