Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Objective: The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing worldwide. There is a lack of national-level estimates on the magnitude of COPD in India. Hence, we estimated the prevalence of COPD among adults in India. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Scopus and included community-based cross-sectional studies reporting data on the prevalence of COPD among adults based on spirometry. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of COPD. Results: In the eight identified studies, (pooled sample of 8,569 individuals), the estimated prevalence was 7.4% (95% confidence interval: 5.0%-9.8%), I-2 = 95.4% (P < 0.001). The prevalence was higher among males, in the urban area, and the northern region. Conclusion: Adequate training and resources should be provided to diagnose COPD at primary health care level for early management. A nationwide population-based survey is indicated to provide reliable estimates of the burden to inform evidence-based community-based interventions.