Report: Lifestyle and diet changes leave sugar levels abnormal in half of Indians

New Delhi. The risk of diabetes is increasing rapidly among Indians due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits. According to a report by Thyrocare, a diagnostic service provider, a study of the health check-up data of 19.6 lakh adult Indians in 2023 revealed that 49.43 per cent of people had abnormal sugar levels. Of these, 27.18 per cent were diabetic and 22.25 per cent were pre-diabetic.

According to a recent study published in the Lancet journal, India accounts for more than a quarter of the 83 crore diabetes patients worldwide, with 21.2 crore adults suffering from the disease. The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had also reported in their 2023 study that 10.1 crore people in India are diabetic and 13.6 crore are pre-diabetic.

According to new research, one reason for the increasing number of diabetes patients in India is the growing trend of consuming cakes, chips, cookies, crackers, fried foods, and ultra-processed foods. Continuous consumption of these foods leads to a decrease in insulin production in the pancreas, causing an increase in glucose levels in the blood.

More Type-2 patients

In India, most diabetes cases are of Type-2 diabetes, which typically affects middle-aged or older people. Type-1 diabetes usually affects younger people and is more difficult to cure.