Peripheral muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Peripheral muscle dysfunction is a common systemic complication of moderate to severe COPD and may contribute to disability, handicap, and premature mortality. In contrast to the lung impairment, which is largely irreversible, peripheral muscle dysfunction is potentially remediable with exercise training, nutritional intervention, oxygen, and anabolic drugs. Therapeutic success is often incomplete, however, and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of peripheral muscle dysfunction in COPD is needed to help develop innovative and more effective therapeutic strategies.