Zysman M, Deslee G, Perez T, et al. - Researchers evaluated clinical as well as pulmonary function characteristics, comorbidities and mortality related to severe hypoxemia in a real-life chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cohort. They compared clinical and functional features in people with non-severe (forced expiratory volume in 1 s ≥ 50% predicted) vs severe airflow limitation among those with severe hypoxemia. In addition, they sought to compare characteristics of individuals with or without severe hypoxemia, among people experiencing severe airflow limitation. They used the French Initiatives BPCO real-life cohort. Worse prognosis and more severe symptoms, airflow limitation and hyperinflation, were observed in relation to severe hypoxemia in this cohort of stable COPD patients. Older age, presence of higher BMI and more diagnosed diabetes, were identified in participants with severe hypoxemia despite non-severe airflow limitation vs people with severe hypoxemia and severe airflow limitation.