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mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) Dyspnea Scale

Grades breathlessness severity relative to physical activity.

mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) Dyspnea Scale
Breathlessness grade
ResultGrade 0

Mild or no significant activity limitation from breathlessness.

When to use

  • Grading functional disability from breathlessness in chronic respiratory disease (e.g., COPD) for symptom tracking and combined assessment (e.g., GOLD ABE groups).

Formula

Single ordinal grade 0-4 selected from the description that best matches the patient's exertional breathlessness.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • mMRC >=2 is commonly used as a threshold for significant symptom burden in COPD guidelines.

References

  1. Bestall JC, Paul EA, Garrod R, et al. Thorax. 1999;54(7):581-6.
  2. Fletcher CM. BMJ. 1960;2(5147):257-66 (original MRC breathlessness grading).