Even as a recent population-based Cancer Registry Report noted that Bangalore tops the list of Indian cities in cases of lung cancers, other studies have claimed that Indians have lower lung capacities compared to Europeans. This suggests a lower lung function due to existing health issues or other factors.
Dr Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at McMaster University in Canada, is the author of one such study. While he found that lungs of Indians are 30 per cent less effective than those of Europeans, Yusuf said he did not know the reasons for this and studies are on.
Lung capacity depends on several factors such as body size and weight, surface area of the body, genetic predisposition and socio-economic factors.
According to Dr Sashidhar Buggi, director of city-based Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, lung capacity is a relative issue in the same way that the average birth weight of a newborn Indian children at 2.5 kg, was lower than that of European or American babies who weighed up to 3.5-4.5 kg. “There is no doubt that lung functions will worsen with increasing air pollution, industrialisation and urbanisation. If one has habits like smoking, the condition willcertainly aggravate,” he added.
The rising air pollution in Bangalore is another issue worrying experts. Nagappa, scientific officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board noted that the level of air pollutants in Bangalore have gone up byhundred percent in the last decade. “Vehicles account for about 44 per cent of all air pollution in Bangalore. Road dust adds another 20 per cent while construction activities add 14 per cent. Industries contribute 14 per cent of the total pollution,” explained Dr Vaman Acharya, chairman of the board.
Dr J N Pande, senior consultant in general medicine, Sitaram Bhartia Institute Of Science and Research, Delhi, contended that the link between lower lung capacity and pollution was not a new finding and had been known for about 35 years now.
“In metropolitan cities, low lung capacity could be due to genetic reasons, poor nutrition and air pollution. There are other reasons as well such as physical inactivity, obesity and risk factors including smoking and inhalation of fossil fuels among others, which combine to lower the functioning of lungs.” The medical fraternity agrees that increasing air pollution may have an important role to play in lungdisorders. Existing disorders like asthma, wheezing, bronchitis andtuberculosis are certainly worsened in highly polluted cities, according to Dr Ravindra Mehta, consultant at Apollo hospitals in Bangalore.
Dr B V Muralimohan, Pulmunologist at Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre at Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City, said, “A certain difference in lung function and capacity exists among all ethnic groups. Interestingly, even women are found to be affected by chronic lung problems because they cook by burning fossil fuels, which is a type of indoor air pollution. Outdoor pollution also causes worsening of existing conditions. We do not have clear data on air pollution causing lung disorders in healthy people but there is certainly a high probability.”