Deng D, et al. - In view of the observed association between depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers investigated the predictive value of a new multidimensional index named CODEXS, based on comorbidities, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, previous exacerbation and depression assessed by Self-Rating Depression Scale, for 1-year exacerbations. In this prospective study, they used patients with stable COPD to develop CODEXS at the first visit and followed them up in the 3rd, 6th, and 12th months. The development and validation cohorts comprised of 105 and 107 patients, respectively. Observations suggest the independent value of depression as a risk factor for COPD exacerbation. CODEXS is identified to be a valuable predictor for prophesying frequent exacerbators within 1 year. Further, it stands superior to other previously published indices.