Translational Research in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) is a heterogenous lung condition with chronic respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, sputum, etc. due to abnormalities of airways that cause persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction. COPD is the third leading cause of mortality and morbidity. According to WHO, COPD affects 800 million people with 3.23 million deaths globally, and affects 55 million people in India. The common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, reduced mobility, and aches and pains. There is a great impact on the quality of life of the person with COPD which includes dependency on daily activity, symptoms of minimal exertion, and unable to do outdoor activities. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is 1068 vs. 328 per lakh for COPD vs. cardiac diseases. There has been a revolution in health care triggered by the knowledge gained from sequencing the human genome.