Diabetes & Heart Risk

A Dangerous Combo for Indian Women.

- Monika Maheshwar

Diabetes and heart disease are intricately linked, forming a particularly dangerous combination for Indian women. With India being home to over 70 million people with diabetes—many of whom remain undiagnosed—this silent epidemic is increasingly affecting women, especially after the age of 40. What makes this duo more lethal for women than men is the gender-specific biology, coupled with socio-cultural factors that delay diagnosis and treatment.

Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and ICMR found that diabetic Indian women face elevated cardiovascular risks due to higher waist-hip ratios, urban dietary patterns, and poor glycemic control.