Addressing Environmental Factors in COPD: The Role of HEPA Filters in Indoor Air Quality

COPD is a major public health issue globally, resulting in significant morbidity, loss of productivity, and increased health expenditure. Air pollution is considered the primary factor leading to the development and progression of COPD. While the role of outdoor air pollution was well outlined, studies have looked at how indoor air quality and indoor air pollution can cause or worsen the disease. Even though we know that outdoor air pollution has contributed to COPD, the question remains: how do outdoor air pollution and an increased outdoor air pollution load impact indoor air quality, and how will that impact COPD development and progression, and can indoor air filters tackle that? This narrative review focuses on air pollution, the air quality index, and the impact of environmental pollution on indoor air quality and COPD. We also describe the role of the HEPA filters in tackling indoor air pollution, their mechanism, and their impact on COPD and control of indoor air pollution.