Diabetes, hypertension strongly linked: Study warns of twin epidemics
Lucknow: One in three people aged 30 and above has
, and nearly one in five has
. Those with either conditions are, on average, about 10 years older than those without, highlighting the increased risk with age.
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This finding was reported in a newly published study conducted by researchers from the
(New Delhi), an institution established by Tata Trusts.
A researcher from King George's Medical University (KGMU) also contributed to the study. The study found that diabetes and high blood pressure are strongly linked, meaning that if someone has one of these conditions, they are much more likely to develop the other.
The study, titled "Unveiling the
of Hypertension and Diabetes", was published in the May 2025 issue of BMC Public Health.
It is one of the largest health data studies of its kind in India, analysing data from over 11.7 lakh adults aged 30 and above as part of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
"These conditions don't occur in isolation. One significantly increases the risk of the other, especially as people age," said Dr Nishikant Singh from HSTP, one of the lead authors.
Among people with diabetes, around 43% also had high blood pressure.
Similarly, more than 1 in 4 people with high blood pressure also had diabetes, showing how frequently the two occur together.
"This overlap worsens health problems and makes treatment more complicated," said Prof Navin Singh, department of radiation oncology, from KGMU. "It also adds pressure on already overloaded health services."
Though men have slightly higher rates of both conditions, the risk of developing one disease after the other is slightly higher in women.
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Researchers believe this could be due to differences in how men and women seek medical help, or how early they are diagnosed. "We can't ignore gender differences anymore," said Dr Sudheer Kumar Shukla.
The study stresses that India's current approach to handling lifestyle diseases may not be enough to meet the target set under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, which aims to reduce early deaths from such diseases by one-third by 2030.
"We can no longer treat diabetes and high blood pressure as separate issues," said Dr Nishikant. "A combined care approach—starting from early screening to long-term management—is the only way forward."
The researchers urge the govt and health agencies to focus on
to mitigate the twin epidemics of diabetes and hypertension, especially in high-risk areas, improve health data systems, include gender-sensitive plans, and invest more in preventing these diseases before they start.
The author of the study also includes Rajeev Sadanandan, former additional chief secretary, department of health, Kerala.
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