Purpose: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is common morbidity in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with quadriceps muscle being the most severely affected and hence most research focuses on the changes occurring in the thigh muscles. Consequently not much is known about involvement of other muscles especially the ones in the arm, forearm and the hand. Hence this study aims determine whether hand grip strength is affected in patients with COPD and whether it has any correlation with patients peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) and body mass index(BMI). Methodology: 30 patients with COPD and 30 healthy age matched controls were selected. PEFR, hand grip strength and BMI were evaluated. Results: A poor non-significant correlation was found between PEFR and hand grip strength (r =-0.153) and between BMI and hand grip strength (r = -0.179) in patients with COPD. But hand grip strength was significantly lower in patients with COPD (17.4 +/- 4.49 kg force) compared to that in controls (28.43 +/- 8.35 kg force) (p =0.00). Similarly COPD patients had significantly lesser BMI (19.08+/- 4.08 kg/m2) compared to the controls (27.67+/- 4.15 kg/m2) (p =0.00). Conclusion: Hand grip strength is reduced in patients with COPD but does not correlate with severity of obstruction as measured by PEFR or with BMI.