A ground-breaking research paper of a comprehensive epidemiological study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been published in the globally acclaimed medical journal, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. 

Funded by the ICMR and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Govt. of India, the study paper - Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) shockingly reveals India has a much higher burden of metabolic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

This cross-sectional, population-based survey of adults aged ≥20 years, sampled a total of 1,13,043 individuals (33,537 urban and 79,506 rural residents) in 31 States and Union Territories of the country using a stratified, multistage sampling design. 

In this large representative sample of individuals from both urban and rural India, the study measured the prevalence of metabolic NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidaemia. It also identified regional and state-level variations in the prevalence of these NCDs across the nation.

Dr V. Mohan, Chairman, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre (DMDSC) and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) and senior author of the study said, “Our study results have multiple implications for the planning and provision of health care in India. State governments in India, who are primarily in charge of providing healthcare in their respective regions, will be especially interested in the detailed state-level data on these NCDs as it will allow them to develop evidence-based interventions to successfully halt the progression of NCDs and manage their complications.”