Diabetes and high blood pressure rates are on the rise in India, especially among the younger population. Researchers warned that India has been largely overlooked when it comes to metabolic and heart disease prevention despite being the second most populous nation on the planet.
The study appeared this week in the JAMA Internal Medicine.
Lead author Pascal Geldsetzer and his team are poised to assess high blood pressure rates in India to better understand the heart disease risk across the population. Hypertension is a key factor to screening, treating, and preventing cardiovascular disease.
In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) pledged to reduce hypertension rates 25% worldwide by 2025. WHO members also promised to implement policies to bring diabetes rates down by that year, as well.
Given India’s huge population, its achievements are critical to reaching these global targets,
study authors said.
India’s Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Troubles Rising
However, India’s high blood pressure and diabetes problems are not going anywhere. The study revealed that diabetes among Indian men jumped to 9.1 percent from 3.7 percent between 1980 and 2014.
Researchers don’t think the trend can be easily reversed as India’s rapid urbanization and aging population are pushing the numbers up. Plus, Indians who enjoy a higher social status now make less healthy lifestyle choices which up their heart disease and obesity risks.
Prof. Geldsetzer warned that Indian men are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease if they have a lifestyle and live in an environment that promotes obesity.
The latest study involved more than 1,320,000 Indians, which is a drop in the ocean when we think about India’s 1.3 billion- population. Researchers tracked the presence of diabetes and high blood pressure in study participants and any links to their sex, age, social status, marital, status, education, and location.
The research revealed that high blood pressure rates are higher than diabetes rates in India, with 20% of women and 24.5% of men being affected by hypertension.
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