New Delhi: As toxic air continues to choke Delhi and the NCR, doctors are reporting a worrying surge in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a life-threatening respiratory condition tightening its grip on the region.
According to Dr. G. C. Khilnani, Head of the Pulmonary Department at PSRI, “COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. It is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. In Delhi, it is spreading at an alarming speed. Earlier, it was believed to be caused mainly by smoking, but changing environmental conditions, urban pollution, and lifestyle shifts have dramatically expanded the scale of this chronic disease.”
A community-based study in Delhi has already found COPD prevalence at 10.1% among adults, with a higher incidence in men (12.2%) compared to women (7.7%). Nationally, the estimated prevalence stands at 7.4%, with urban areas reporting far higher rates (11.4%) than rural regions (5.6%).
Initial symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness.
More than 7.4% of Indians above 30 are affected.
Across the country, nearly 5.5 crore people are living with the disease, and in Delhi alone, over five lakh residents are estimated to be impacted.
While World COPD Day, observed annually on the third Wednesday of November, aims to raise global awareness, the ground reality in India remains grim. COPD primarily affects older adults, with cases rising sharply after the age of 30. It is rare among children, with a prevalence of just 0.1–0.9% in those aged 5–29. Among people above 30, prevalence can range from 1.6% to an alarming 28.3%. For those above 60, the disease burden remains severe.
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study shows that of the one crore deaths recorded in India every year, nearly 7% are attributed to COPD — a staggering number for a disease that remains severely underdiagnosed.
A major challenge, doctors warn, is the limited use of spirometry — the essential test for diagnosing COPD. “Spirometry is not routinely used in many healthcare setups, and as a result, countless patients remain undiagnosed. By the time COPD is detected, lung damage has already progressed,” experts say.
AIIMS pulmonologist Dr. Anant Mohan warns that Delhi’s situation is among the worst in the country. A recent spirometry-based study in Delhi (Mehrauli) reported a COPD prevalence of 10.1%, the highest compared to nationwide figures.
Senior Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Interventional Pulmonology, Dr. Harish Bhatia, adds that hospitals are now witnessing a spike in young patients complaining of breathlessness. “With winter smog settling in, nearly 25–30% of OPD cases these days are related to breathlessness,” he said.
