mMRC dyspnoea scale
Pulmonology
Also known as: modified MRC dyspnea scale · mMRC-Dyspnoe-Skala · modifizierte MRC-Dyspnoe-Skala · mMRC dispne skalası · modifiye MRC dispne ölçeği · Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale
What it is for
The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale grades how much breathlessness limits daily activity, from 0 to 4; the patient picks the one grade that fits best. It is part of COPD assessment (GOLD ABE tool) and is also used in other chronic lung diseases.
Classification
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Grade 0 | breathless only with strenuous exercise. |
| Grade 1 | short of breath when hurrying on level ground or walking up a slight hill. |
| Grade 2 | walks slower than people of the same age on level ground because of breathlessness, or has to stop for breath when walking at own pace on the level. |
| Grade 3 | stops for breath after walking about 100 metres or after a few minutes on level ground. |
| Grade 4 | too breathless to leave the house, or breathless when dressing or undressing. |
| In GOLD 2026 | mMRC 0-1 counts as less breathlessness and mMRC ≥2 as more breathlessness when assigning group A or B. |
| Numbering | the original MRC scale describes the same five steps numbered 1 to 5; the modified version numbers them 0 to 4. |
Source
Global Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of COPD: 2026 Report (Figure 2.11, Modified MRC dyspnea scale)
GOLD 2026 report; scale validated in COPD by Bestall JC et al., Thorax 1999;54:581-586
DOI: 10.1136/thx.54.7.581
PMID: 10377201
- Edition
- mMRC dyspnoea scale, grades 0-4 (as reproduced in the GOLD 2026 report)
- Checked on
Summary of the published classification in our own words. Not a substitute for the original publication.
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