14% Indians aged 45+ could have lung disease: Study
A new study from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) published in the journal PLOS One shows that more than 14% of Indians aged 45+ could be living with obstructive lung disease—often without even knowing it.
Researchers tested over 31,000 people and found men were hit harder than women.
Surprisingly, only about one in 10 with the condition as determined by the study had actually been diagnosed.
Experts call for awareness campaigns
Experts from USC and Harvard are urging for awareness campaigns, since risk factors like smoking (big in the north) or using smoky cooking fuels (common in the northeast) vary a lot across India.
The LASI project—India's first massive aging study—hopes to spotlight these differences and help close the gap on missed diagnoses before things get serious.