Massierer D, et al. - Researchers investigated the prognostic significance of simple measures of physical function and muscle strength in association with exacerbation, hospitalization and mortality in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The relevant prospective observational studies were identified from Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science. There were seven articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria. They found that only a limited number of investigations have been performed addressing the prognostic importance of simple measures of physical function and muscle strength in relation to exacerbations, hospitalizations and mortality in people with COPD. The most examined tests to date are the handgrip strength and 1-min sit-to-stand tests, which appeared suitable for prognosis purposes in people with COPD.