Why does chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lead to systemic inflammation and muscle wasting, even in the absence of acute infection?

💡 Explanation

COPD triggers chronic inflammation in the lungs, stimulating the sustained release of pro-inflammatory cytokines into the systemic circulation; because these cytokines (e.g., TNF-α) promote muscle protein breakdown and suppress protein synthesis, systemic muscle wasting occurs. Therefore, cytokine-mediated effects explain muscle wasting, rather than hypoxia or hypermetabolism directly causing it.

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