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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Data from India's ageing study suggests one-fifth of those aged 45 and above had diabetes in 2019
About a fifth of those aged 45 and above were living with diabetes in 2019, with two in every five possibly unaware of their condition, according to data from a study among India's ageing adults. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and US, also found that 46 per cent of those aware of their diabetes regained a control over blood sugar levels, while around 60 per cent were able to control their blood pressure the same year. Six per cent were taking a lipid-lowering medication to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the team said. The 'Longitudinal Aging Study in India' (LASI), which surveyed about 60,000 adults aged 45 and above during 2017-2019 (Wave 1), found prevalence of the metabolic condition was similar among men and women (nearly 20 per cent) and that in urban areas was twice, compared to prevalence in rural ones. Further, states that were economically more developed tended to have a greater prevalence of diabetes, with about a third or more having diabetes in the states where prevalence was highest, the researchers said. 'Our study provides updated, nationally representative, and state-representative estimates of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control using glycaeted haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations among middle-aged and older adults in India,' they wrote. The team 'found that approximately one in five people aged 45 years and older had diabetes (50.4 million individuals), that variation across states was wide, and that urban diabetes prevalence was twice as high as rural prevalence.' The authors added that compared to results from previous national surveys, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study that spanned 2008-2020, findings from the LASI suggest a slightly higher achievement of glycaemic and blood pressure targets, but a lower achievement of lipid-lowering medication targets, among the population. The authors' findings support the notion that 'India continues to be at a stage in the nutrition transition characterised by greatest diabetes prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups.' Further, the results showing a greater prevalence of diabetes among the older age groups are important as the country's population ages rapidly, the team said. The results suggest that 'in the coming years, the total number of middle-aged and older adults with diabetes will increase even if the rise in age-specific diabetes prevalence can be halted.'
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
How migration to urban areas is expanding waistlines in India
Migration is reshaping Indian bodies—not just metaphorically, but physically, and measurably so. As millions move from villages to cities, the contours of daily life shift: new jobs, new routines, new stresses and new diets. And gradually, their bodies change too. In a recent analysis of over 31,000 adults aged 45 and above, researchers Bittu Mandal and Kalandi Charan Prasad at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore report a strong link between rural-to-urban migration and obesity. The longer someone lives in a city, the more likely they are to carry excess weight—especially around the waist, the fat most tied to chronic disease. Migration, they suggest, is not just demographic—it's metabolic. What the research looked at To trace how cities imprint themselves on the body, the researchers turned to one of the largest ageing surveys in the world—the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). Conducted across every State and Union Territory in 2017–18, it captured the lives of over 70,000 adults aged 45 and above. From this national tapestry, the team pulled a focused thread—31,595 people whose past and present addresses told a story of movement. They zeroed in on those who had left villages for cities, classifying these rural-to-urban migrants by how long they'd lived in their new urban homes: under five years, five to ten, or more than a decade. Then came the crucial question: Had their bodies changed with time in the city? The researchers examined both body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference—because belly fat, more than weight alone, is often the clearer signal of looming chronic disease. Using multiple statistical models, they asked whether simply spending more time in a city made people more likely to become obese. What they found The analysis revealed a clear trend. The longer someone lives in a city, the higher their odds of obesity. Even within five years of migrating, rural-to-urban migrants were nearly twice as likely to be obese as rural non-migrants, with the risk rising further after 6–10 years and again after a decade. 'We did not observe a clear point where the risk stabilises,' said Bittu Mandal, one of the study's authors. This pattern held for both general (measured by BMI) and abdominal obesity. Among rural non-migrants, just 2.6% were obese, compared to 13.1% for long-term urban dwellers and migrants. This aligns with the Indian Migration Study, which found increased body fat in migrants within a decade, characterised by higher blood pressures, lipids, and fasting blood glucose—patterns consistent across gender, as noted in an earlier work by Varadharajan et al. and Ebrahim et al. The ICMR-INDIAB study further showed that migrants had the highest rates of abdominal obesity and diabetes, surpassing even long-term city dwellers. The data also highlighted group-level differences. Obesity was especially common among women, wealthier or more educated individuals, and adults aged 45–59, who often adopt sedentary urban jobs and calorie-dense diets more readily than older migrants. 'Many migrants shift from labour-intensive rural work to desk jobs,' Mr. Mandal explained. 'Cities also offer easy access to processed foods, driving abdominal weight gain.' This is not just a matter of availability but also time. 'Time pressures associated with urban employment lead to increased demand for time-saving in food preparation and consumption,' said Prabhu Pingali, director of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition. 'Pre-packaged and processed foods are everywhere, often replacing fresh meals in urban diets, especially for the poor.' Anaka Aiyar, a developmental economist at University of Vermont cautions that even non-migrants aren't spared as urban influence spreads. 'As market access improves in rural and peri-urban areas, processed foods become increasingly available. This shifts diets toward obesogenic patterns, especially for lower-middle-income women in sedentary jobs.' Filling the gaps While the study is statistically robust, its cross-sectional design leaves one key question open: does city life cause weight gain—or are heavier people more likely to migrate? Other research in the area bridges this gap. Sibling-pair studies in India—where migrants are compared to their rural siblings—show a consistent pattern. The migrant sibling is typically heavier, less active, and eats less nutritiously. Both higher calorie intake and lower energy expenditure contribute equally to their greater body fat—driven mainly by fatty diets, sedentary habits, and limited physical activity. Oyebode and colleagues looked at pooled data of 40,000 individuals from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa and found that occupational activity among migrants was lower and leisure activity higher. Together, these studies build a robust case—migration alters work, diet, and daily life in ways that foster weight gain. Policy implications As more Indians migrate to cities the health risks of that shift are becoming clearer. Yet internal migrants, particularly women and middle-aged adults, often fall through the cracks of public health programmes. 'They are often overlooked,' said Mr. Mandal. 'They face barriers such as lack of documentation, limited awareness, and care disruptions.' He suggests that national programmes - Ayushman Bharat and NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke)- expand migrant outreach, offer portable benefits, and prioritise targeted screenings. But the challenge may run deeper than healthcare access. 'Food environments are changing rapidly, while nutrition policies lag behind,' said Prof. Aiyar. 'This disconnect risks leaving low-income and female migrants especially vulnerable.' Prof. Pingali argues that India's grain-heavy food policy has long limited access to fresh produce. 'Processed foods become default substitutes, especially for the urban poor,' he said. 'Combined with sedentary lifestyles and sugary drinks, this fuels adverse health outcomes.' He calls for a policy shift toward year-round access to fruits, vegetables, and dairy. From a different angle, economist Arup Mitra, professor at South Asian University and the former director-general of the National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development, notes that many low-income migrants face basic nutritional hardships in cities. 'Access to healthy livelihoods—whether via sanitation or food—is already limited,' he said. 'And rising living costs only make things worse.' As India's cities swell and its migrants age, the country must reshape its health response—before citizens start bearing the irreversible burden of neglect.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Data from India's ageing study suggests one-fifth of those aged 45 and above had diabetes in 2019
New Delhi: About a fifth of those aged 45 and above were living with diabetes in 2019, with two in every five possibly unaware of their condition, according to data from a study among India's ageing adults. Findings published in The Lancet Global Health also suggest that as the country's population rapidly ages, diabetes cases among the middle-aged and older adults will increase, even if increase in prevalence of the condition in age-specific groups can be arrested, authors said. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and US, also found that 46 per cent of those aware of their diabetes regained a control over blood sugar levels, while around 60 per cent were able to control their blood pressure the same year. Six per cent were taking a lipid-lowering medication to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the team said. The ' Longitudinal Aging Study in India ' (LASI), which surveyed about 60,000 adults aged 45 and above during 2017-2019 (Wave 1), found prevalence of the metabolic condition was similar among men and women (nearly 20 per cent) and that in urban areas was twice, compared to prevalence in rural ones. Further, states that were economically more developed tended to have a greater prevalence of diabetes, with about a third or more having diabetes in the states where prevalence was highest, the researchers said. "Our study provides updated, nationally representative, and state-representative estimates of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control using glycaeted haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations among middle-aged and older adults in India," they wrote. The team "found that approximately one in five people aged 45 years and older had diabetes (50.4 million individuals), that variation across states was wide, and that urban diabetes prevalence was twice as high as rural prevalence." The authors added that compared to results from previous national surveys, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study that spanned 2008-2020, findings from the LASI suggest a slightly higher achievement of glycaemic and blood pressure targets, but a lower achievement of lipid-lowering medication targets, among the population. The authors' findings support the notion that "India continues to be at a stage in the nutrition transition characterised by greatest diabetes prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups." Further, the results showing a greater prevalence of diabetes among the older age groups are important as the country's population ages rapidly, the team said. The results suggest that "in the coming years, the total number of middle-aged and older adults with diabetes will increase even if the rise in age-specific diabetes prevalence can be halted."
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
One-fifth of Indians aged 45 and above had diabetes in 2019: Study
Findings published in The Lancet Global Health also suggest that as the country's population rapidly ages, diabetes cases among the middle-aged and older adults will increase Press Trust of India New Delhi About a fifth of those aged 45 and above were living with diabetes in 2019, with two in every five possibly unaware of their condition, according to data from a study among India's ageing adults. Findings published in The Lancet Global Health also suggest that as the country's population rapidly ages, diabetes cases among the middle-aged and older adults will increase, even if increase in prevalence of the condition in age-specific groups can be arrested, authors said. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and US, also found that 46 per cent of those aware of their diabetes regained a control over blood sugar levels, while around 60 per cent were able to control their blood pressure the same year. Six per cent were taking a lipid-lowering medication to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the team said. The 'Longitudinal Aging Study in India' (LASI), which surveyed about 60,000 adults aged 45 and above during 2017-2019 (Wave 1), found prevalence of the metabolic condition was similar among men and women (nearly 20 per cent) and that in urban areas was twice, compared to prevalence in rural ones. Further, states that were economically more developed tended to have a greater prevalence of diabetes, with about a third or more having diabetes in the states where prevalence was highest, the researchers said. "Our study provides updated, nationally representative, and state-representative estimates of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control using glycaeted haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations among middle-aged and older adults in India," they wrote. The team "found that approximately one in five people aged 45 years and older had diabetes (50.4 million individuals), that variation across states was wide, and that urban diabetes prevalence was twice as high as rural prevalence." The authors added that compared to results from previous national surveys, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study that spanned 2008-2020, findings from the LASI suggest a slightly higher achievement of glycaemic and blood pressure targets, but a lower achievement of lipid-lowering medication targets, among the population. The authors' findings support the notion that "India continues to be at a stage in the nutrition transition characterised by greatest diabetes prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups." Further, the results showing a greater prevalence of diabetes among the older age groups are important as the country's population ages rapidly, the team said. The results suggest that "in the coming years, the total number of middle-aged and older adults with diabetes will increase even if the rise in age-specific diabetes prevalence can be halted. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mint
4 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Alarming Rise: 1 in 5 Indians aged 45+ lived with Diabetes in 2019, reveals Lancet report
About a fifth of those aged 45 and above were living with diabetes in India in 2019, a study among the country's ageing adults has revealed. Two in every five possibly were unaware of their condition, according to data from the study. Findings published in The Lancet Global Health also suggest that as the country's population rapidly ages, diabetes cases among the middle-aged and older adults will increase, even if increase in prevalence of the condition in age-specific groups can be arrested, authors said in the study, news agency PTI reported. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and the US, also found that 46 per cent of those aware of their diabetes regained control over their blood sugar levels, while around 60 per cent were able to control their blood pressure the same year. Six per cent were taking a lipid-lowering medication to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the team said. The 'Longitudinal Aging Study in India' (LASI), which surveyed about 60,000 adults aged 45 and above during 2017-2019 (Wave 1), found prevalence of the metabolic condition was similar among men and women (nearly 20 per cent) and that in urban areas was twice, compared to prevalence in rural ones. Further, states that were economically more developed tended to have a greater prevalence of diabetes, with about a third or more having diabetes in the states where prevalence was highest, the researchers said. "Our study provides updated, nationally representative, and state-representative estimates of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control using glycaeted haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations among middle-aged and older adults in India," they wrote. The team 'found that approximately one in five people aged 45 years and older had diabetes (50.4 million individuals), that variation across states was wide, and that urban diabetes prevalence was twice as high as rural prevalence.' The authors added that compared to results from previous national surveys, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study that spanned 2008-2020, findings from the LASI suggest a slightly higher achievement of glycaemic and blood pressure targets, but a lower achievement of lipid-lowering medication targets, among the population. The authors' findings support the notion that 'India continues to be at a stage in the nutrition transition characterised by greatest diabetes prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups.' Further, the team said the results showing a greater prevalence of diabetes among the older age groups are important as the country's population ages rapidly. Our study provides updated, nationally representative, and state-representative estimates of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control using glycaeted haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations among middle-aged and older adults in India. The results suggest that "in the coming years, the total number of middle-aged and older adults with diabetes will increase even if the rise in age-specific diabetes prevalence can be halted." Key Takeaways Approximately 50.4 million individuals aged 45 and older in India have diabetes. Urban areas show a diabetes prevalence twice that of rural areas. Awareness and control of diabetes are improving, but lipid-lowering medication usage remains low.
