India has much higher burden of non-communicable diseases like diabetes: Study

The study was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on Thursday. (Shutterstock)

ITDC INIDA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS: The study found the overall weighted prevalence of diabetes was 11·4%, 15·3% prediabetes, 35·5% hypertension and abdominal obesity— a risk factor for diabetes— 39.5%

India has a much higher burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia, a cross-sectional and population-based survey of 33,537 people aged over 20 in urban and 79,506 in rural areas across 31 states and Union Territories has found.

The study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on Thursday found the overall weighted prevalence of diabetes was 11·4%, 15·3% prediabetes, 35·5% hypertension and abdominal obesity— a risk factor for diabetes— 39.5%.

The survey of 1,13,043 individuals used a stratified and multistage sampling design and found urban regions had higher rates of all metabolic NCDs than rural areas, with the exception of prediabetes.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union health and family welfare ministry funded the study conducted by Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre (DMDSC).

Dr V Mohan, DMDSC chairman and the senior author of the study, said the survey results have multiple implications for the planning and provision of health care in India. “State governments in India, which are primarily in charge of providing healthcare in their respective regions, will be especially interested in the detailed state-level data on these NCDs.” He added it will allow the state governments to develop evidence-based interventions to successfully halt the progression of NCDs and manage their complications.

DMDSC managing director and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation president RM Anjana the in-depth report is likely to have a huge impact on the healthcare policies for the country-specific to NCDs. The findings of this study are very significant as they provide robust estimates of NCDs for the nation.”

Anjana said that compared to earlier estimates, India has a substantially greater prevalence of metabolic NCDs. “In India, the diabetes epidemic is in transition, with some states having already reached their peak rates while others are just getting started.”

Anjana said the study also demonstrates that despite the fact that all metabolic NCDs are more common in urban regions, rural areas have significantly greater prevalence rates than that reported previously.

The study found diabetes is still increasing in most other states while it is stabilising in the more developed ones. It underlined serious implications for the nation, warranting urgent state-specific policies and interventions to arrest the rapidly rising epidemic of metabolic NCDs in India.