Why India needs to take prediabetes more seriously

Dr Jaspreet Singh, endocrinologist, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, Jammu highlights, “In urban settings, we increasingly see young Indians with borderline or elevated fasting insulin and HOMA-IR scores, despite normal body weight and diet. Sleeping for less than six hours, high night time smartphone usage, and work-related stress are the leading causes of stress among individuals. These non dietary triggers now play a clinically significant role in the early onset of metabolic dysfunction in the younger population.”Singh notes, “Although we can reverse prediabetes with timely action. India’s healthcare system remains largely reactive. Most interventions begin only after a confirmed diabetes diagnosis, rather than during the warning stage. The current infrastructure lacks scalable programs for routine screening at the community level. Public health workers like ASHA and ANMs are often overburdened and undertrained for metabolic screening. To shift toward prevention, we must integrate early screening protocols, like community-based HbA1c testing, into primary health centers and corporate wellness programs. Without proactive follow-up systems, even identified prediabetes falls through the cracks.” To stop prediabetes from becoming India’s next major health crisis, experts agree: change must start at every level.

Read more: https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/wellness/india-prediabetes-population-metabolic-dysfunction-type-2-diabetes-11755678596602.html