Experts call for a policy shift as study flags high prevalence of diabetes

The largest epidemiological study on NCDs estimates that in 2021, there were 101 million people with diabetes in India.

A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on the high prevalence of metabolic disorders like diabetes in India highlights the need for various policies to keep a check on the non-communicable disease (NCD), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Friday.

The study was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal on the high prevalence of metabolic disorders like diabetes in India (Shutterstock)

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According to a nationwide survey published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, the prevalence of diabetes in India is 11.4%, while 35.5% and 15.3% of people suffer from hypertension and prediabetes, respectively. The largest epidemiological study on NCDs estimates that in 2021, there were 101 million people with diabetes in India, 136 million with prediabetes, and 315 million had high blood pressure.

The study was conducted by Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre (DMDSC), in collaboration with the ICMR, and funded by the Union health ministry. The findings were based on a cross sectional population-based survey which assessed a sample of 113,043 people (33,537 in urban and 79,506 in rural areas), aged over 20, across 31 states and Union territories.

Speaking on the study, ICMR director general (DG) Rajiv Bahl said: “Changes will be required at multiple levels. We already have several good government programmes running, such as FSSAI’s eat right movement and the Fit India movement that aim to create awareness among people on NCDs such as obesity, leading a sedentary lifestyle and consuming junk food, etc.”

Bahl attributed the high prevalence of NCD to various changes, such as more access to food, convenient modes of transportation and changing lifestyle, among others.

“We must see what is happening around and how do we prevent it. Diabetes and prediabetes is quite prevalent in India and we need to see how to prevent this. How to bring about changes in society which will lessen the prevalence of NCDs,” he said.

DMDSC chairman and senior author of the Lancet study, Dr V Mohan, said the survey results will have multiple implications on planning and provisions for healthcare in India.

“State governments in India, who are primarily in charge of providing healthcare in their respective regions, will be especially interested in the detailed state-level data on these NCDs as it will allow them to develop evidence-based interventions to successfully halt the progression of NCDs and manage their complications,” he said in a statement.

Bahl said the answer to reducing the prevalence of diabetes lies in following a healthy lifestyle. “The answer to that is in wellness, in having a lifestyle that encompasses a healthy diet and more physical activity. The important thing to note is that pre-diabetes is completely reversible, and even diabetes is 60% reversible simply by following a healthy diet, and physical activity,” he said.

Read here: Diabetes crisis deepens in India: Top 10 worst-affected states and UTs

“The two important messages are that we must all work towards reducing the risk of diabetes through healthy diet, physical activity, and if it is uncontrolled, then one should go for treatment,” he added.

The study found that Goa (26.4%) had the highest prevalence of diabetes and Uttar Pradesh (4.8%) had the lowest, while Sikkim (31.3%) and Mizoram (6.8%) had the highest and lowest burden of prediabetes.