According to recent data from a 12-year study investigating the incidence of noncommunicable metabolic diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, India has nearly doubled the number of people with diabetes than previously expected.

The Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, a cross-sectional population-based survey of individuals aged 20 and older drawn from urban and rural areas of 31 states and UTs, discovered a diabetes prevalence in the population of 11.4%, or 101 million people. This is 1.68 times higher than the previously estimated 60 million diabetes cases in India.

The new study published in The Lancet showed that the prevalence of pre-diabetes, hypertension, general obesity, and dyslipidemia in India is around 15.3%, 35.5%, 39.5%, and 81.2%, respectively.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), stated that prediabetes is entirely reversible and that 60% of diabetes cases can be reversed by following a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.

A total of 113,043 individuals were included in the study, of which 79,506 were from rural areas, and 33,537 were from urban areas. The study also showed that Punjab was the leader in obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, all risk factors for major non-communicable diseases. 

(Source:https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/60-pc-diabetes-reversible-icmr-chief-on-finding-101-mn-diabetics-in-india-515676 )