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Source: The post is based on the article“Are non-communicable diseases increasing in India?” published in The Hindu on 16th June 2023
What is the News?
The new national estimates for diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCD) show that 31 million more Indians became diabetic in four years (2019-2021).
About the Study to assess the Non-communicable diseases (NCD) burden in the country.
A study was conducted in 2021 to estimate the people with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCD) in India.
Conducted by: Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union Health Ministry.
What are the key findings of the study?
The study has found that: India has 101 million people with diabetes and 136 million people with prediabetes.
Additionally, 315 million people had high blood pressure; 254 million had generalized obesity, and 351 million had abdominal obesity.
213 million people had hypercholesterolaemia (wherein fat collects in arteries and puts individuals at greater risk of heart attack and strokes) and 185 million had high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
What is the significance of this study?
There are two big trend indicators in the study:
Firstly, diabetes and other metabolic non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia are much more common than estimated previously in India.
Secondly, while currently, urban regions had higher rates of all metabolic NCDs than rural areas, with the exception of prediabetes, rural India will see a diabetes explosion in the next five years if left unregulated.
Interstate variations in NCDs: The study highlights interstate and inter-regional variations:
– The highest diabetes prevalence was found in Goa, Puducherry and Kerala. While prediabetes was prevalent in Sikkim, hypertension was highest in Punjab.
– Generalized obesity and abdominal obesity were highest in Puducherry, while Kerala had high hypercholesterolemia and high LDL cholesterol.
– The lowest prevalence of NCDs was found in U.P., Mizoram, Meghalaya and Jharkhand.
What is the way forward?
NCDs have been one of the major concerns of the Health Ministry. It has identified the four major NCDs — cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
They all share four behavioural risk factors — unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and use of tobacco and alcohol.
Programmes have been brought in to strengthen health infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion and awareness-generation for prevention, early diagnosis and ensuring referrals to appropriate healthcare facilities for NCDs.
But more needs to be done as this study clearly gives us an early warning that if not controlled, this population is predisposed to NCDs and life-altering medical conditions including strokes.
