The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) is a non-profit organization started by the World Health Organization and the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to improve care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This organization issues recommendations for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related medical conditions.
The GOLD grading system for classifying the severity of COPD is widely used worldwide.
The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) is an international collaboration that develops and annually updates evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
GOLD guidelines are focused specifically on COPD.
With stable COPD, GOLD emphasizes maintenance inhaled therapies, non-pharmacologic interventions, and the importance of early intervention when cold symptoms arise, as colds can significantly increase the risk and severity of exacerbations in this population.
COPD staging now goes beyond airway obstruction (FEV₁/FVC); it incorporates:
Symptom severity (mMRC or CAT) Risk grouping based on previous exacerbations or FEV₁% predicted
Patients are classified into Groups A–D from low/high symptoms × low/high risk), each with distinct initial treatment strategies 
Personalized treatments include combinations of bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) depending on group and exacerbation risk .