Silent Diseases Hit Young India

Young adults show alarming NCD trends, with high rates of obesity, prediabetes, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

On World Health Day, several health reports have sounded a warning on India's rising burden of silent, early-onset diseases, underlining the urgent need to shift from reactive treatment to preventive health care.

Rising early onset disease burden

Thyrocare Technologies, in its Bharat Aarogyam Score -- based on over 9.3 million preventive health checkups conducted between 2023 and 2025 -- found that more than 90 per cent of individuals show early signs of at least one health condition.

A major proportion faces multiple overlapping risks, often beginning as early as their 20s.

The analysis highlights that health risks rarely occur in isolation.

Over eight in 10 individuals were at risk for at least two conditions, while nearly two in 10 showed risks across five or more, indicating a growing clustering of health issues.

Preventive health checkup insights

Similarly, Apollo Hospitals, in its Health of the Nation 2026 report based on over 3 million health assessments, flagged that two in three young adults are already at risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Among working populations, nearly half were found to have prediabetes or diabetes, while eight in 10 were overweight.

Young adults NCD risk surge

Both reports point to a consistent trend: health risks are emerging earlier, remaining undiagnosed longer, and extending beyond traditional clinical markers.

Thyrocare's findings show a sharp rise in risks related to heart health and diabetes in the 21-40 age group, with heart-related risks doubling by the 30s and diabetes risk more than doubling by the 40s.

Apollo's data further reveals that one in five individuals under 30 is already prediabetic, while more than half exhibit obesity or abnormal cholesterol levels.

Nutritional deficiencies and fitness-related concerns are also widespread.

Lifestyle factors driving health risks

Both the findings suggest that India's disease burden is shifting towards younger demographics, driven by poor lifestyle choices.

factors such as poor diet, sedentary behaviour, and stress.

Apollo reported that nearly seven in 10 individuals are deficient in vitamin D, and close to half have low vitamin B12 levels, alongside declining physical fitness indicators such as strength and flexibility among younger populations.

Hidden conditions beyond blood tests

The reports also highlight gender-specific trends.

Thyrocare observed that low haemoglobin levels are about 2.5x higher in women, while men show a higher prevalence of liver-related abnormalities.

Apollo, meanwhile, pointed to rising anaemia and an earlier onset of breast cancer among women, with cases detected nearly a decade earlier than in Western populations.

Importantly, both datasets underline that conventional blood tests may not be sufficient to detect all risks.

Apollo's analysis found that a majority of individuals with fatty liver had normal liver enzyme levels, while advanced diagnostics such as imaging and risk scoring revealed hidden conditions like early atherosclerosis.

Together, the findings suggest that India's disease burden is increasingly shifting towards younger demographics, driven by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, sedentary behaviour, and stress.

The reports emphasise that early screening, regular monitoring, and timely intervention can improve outcomes.

However, they also stress that awareness remains low, with a large proportion of individuals unaware of underlying risks until conditions progress.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff