Peripheral muscle wasting in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -: Clinical relevance and mechanisms

In this article, the concept that muscle wasting in COPD is in fact a state of cachexia was developed. Muscle wasting should be considered as a serious complication in COPD and other chronic illnesses with important implications for survival. Up to now, there is no effective treatment for this complication but optimism is warranted now that the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cachexia has evolved. Research on muscle wasting is extremely active and this will eventually lead to the development of specific treatments for cachexia such as proteasome and cytokine inhibition or muscle growth factors. The clinical approach to cachexia in COPD and other chronic diseases should change dramatically in the near future. This is an exciting research area to follow.