 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation which can be linked to increased rates of systemic manifestations of the disease. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome are also common among COPD patients, and both have been shown to increase the risk of developing the disease. Additionally, obesity-related hypoxia has been found to result in local inflammatory responses within adipose tissue, which could lead to increased levels of inflammatory mediators in the bloodstream. Finally, it is unclear whether systemic hypoxia caused by reduced pulmonary function contributes to the adipose tissue inflammation seen in COPD patients. This article was authored by Ruzina Tikova.