Why India Needs to Take Prediabetes More Seriously

With close to 136 million Indians living with the metabolic dysfunction, it is time to push for regular health checkups

- Tanisha Saxena

unique. Millions across India may be living in this silent zone of metabolic dysfunction unaware that they could be inching towards a chronic disease that could have been intercepted with timely action. According to a 2023 ICMR-INDIAB study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, at least 136 million Indians, or 15.3% of the population, are living with prediabetes. "The prediabetic stage is crucial because it represents a window of opportunity: blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes," says Dr Paras Agarwal, clinical director & head of diabetes, obesity & metabolic disorders at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram. "While typically asymptomatic, individuals in this stage are at significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes."

India, home to the second-largest diabetic population globally, has long focused on treating diabetes. But it is in the years—often decades—before full-blown disease sets in that the body sends warning signs. Most people just don't know how to read them.