Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a significant cause of chronicmorbidity and mortality worldwide. COPD is commonly thought of as a condition caused by cigarette smoking. Epidemiological studies show that 5-12% of subjects with COPD are non-smokers. This study was undertaken to study the clinical profile of COPD in non[1] smokers and to identify other risk factors of COPD.

AIM: 1. To investigate the COPD clinical characteristics in non-smokers. 2. To identify the risk factors (other than smoking) of COPD.

Materials and Methods: A six-month hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Medicine at Rajshree Medical and Research Institute, Bareilly. A total of 50 COPD patients who were non-smokers admitted to the hospital during this period were taken into the study.

Results: Of 50 patients, 76% were females, 66% had <5 years duration of illness. Cough and expectoration were present in all, followed by breathlessness and wheeze. In 84 percent of the cases, there was a history of biomass fuel exposure, and environmental tobacco smoke exposure was present in 100%. Occupational exposure was present in only 34%, and air pollution exposure was present in 16%.

Conclusion: Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and biomass fuel exposure were significant risk factors. According to this study, occupational exposure and air pollution were not significant risk factors.