India is witnessing a sharp rise in lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart conditions, driven by sedentary habits and poor lifestyle choices, highlighting the urgent need for prevention, early screening and healthier living practices.
Updated: May 20, 2026 3:21 PM IST
Mumbai —The prevalence of lifestyle-related disorders is continuing to climb in India and experts in the field of healthcare and public health are worried about rising incidences of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular diseases in younger age brackets.
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)–India Diabetes (INDIAB) study conducted in 2023, India has over 101 million people with diabetes and over 136 million people as pre-diabetic. These health data are also government-supported, and hypertension, obesity and metabolic diseases are becoming increasingly common in cities.
On one hand, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data have pointed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a leading cause of death in the country, such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes-related complications, while on the other hand, National Health Mission data has highlighted the same.
Researchers in public health have attributed the trend to sedentary lifestyle, stress, unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, smoking, and lack of physical activity.
Cardiovascular and metabolic conditions are now beginning to be diagnosed at an earlier age than in past decades, especially in working-aged people in metropolitan areas, medical professionals say.
Dr. Rohit Sane, a cardiac risk factor management expert from preventive cardiology, said that there has been a growing overlap between diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiac risk factors in clinical practice.
The convergence of metabolic disorders at ever younger ages in India underlines the need for preventive screening as well as long-term management of lifestyle, he added.
In the past, Dr. K Srinath Reddy, founder of the Public Health Foundation of India, had highlighted the importance of the role of robust health systems for preventive health care and early intervention to deal with the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases in India.
In recent years, however, the talk has also been visible on the traditional medicine and integrative healthcare models based on evidence. In a joint industry whitepaper, Frost & Sullivan & Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) discussed the future of India’s Ayurveda industry and explained the relevance of scientific validation, internationally harmonized manufacturing standards and clinical evaluation frameworks in the treatment of chronic diseases.
Dr. Sane also shared his insights on the importance of conducting clinical trials and increasing the regulatory standardization of Ayurveda-based treatment models for diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, and cancer care.
As hospitals and doctors report a rise in chronic diseases associated with lifestyle changes, public health experts feel that the health system in India is slowly moving towards prevention-based strategies.
Regular screening tests, physical exercise, balanced diet, stress management and early detection of illness are recommended by medical professionals to combat the increasing burden of lifestyle diseases in India.
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