Fatigue in COPD: an important yet ignored symptom

Breathlessness, cough, and sputum production are cardinal symptoms of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These respiratory symptoms are routinely assessed to monitor disease stability and also as outcomes of the efficacy of COPD-specific pharmacological therapies. Fatigue, however, is often ignored in clinical practice and research. Patients describe the sensation of fatigue as a general feeling of tiredness and being drained of energy, and it is associated with frustration, depression, and concentration problems.