bode index bode index the bode index, for body-mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise, is a multidimensional scoring system and capacity index used to test patients who have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) and to predict long-term outcomes for them. the index uses the four factors to predict risk of death from the disease. the bode index will result in a score of zero to ten dependent upon fev1 or "forced expiratory volume in one second" (the greatest volume of air that can be breathed out in the first second of a breath), body-mass index, the distance walked in six minutes, and the modified mrc dyspnea scale. significant weight loss is a bad sign. results of spirometry are also good predictors of the future progress of the disease, but they are not as good as the test results of the bode index.