What is worth measuring in patients with COPD?

A personalized approach to management of a COPD patient is currently required due to heterogeneity of this disorder. A functional evaluation of each COPD patient is a fundamental part of the process to achieve this objec- tive and should require a rational step-by-step procedure starting from the etiology of COPD, determination of the predominant underlying disease, assessment of risk severity, therapeutic role of ICS and finally monitoring of disease activity and its impact on the patient's life under the chosen treatment. Aim of this review is to indicate a series of easy sequential measurements that are worth to have for obtaining all this information crucial to taking care of a patient with a new diagnosis of COPD.