India’s Diabetes Prevalence and Risk Factors

• Global diabetes prevalence has quadrupled from 200 million in 1990 to over 800 million in 2022.

• India has the highest number of people with diabetes, with 212 million people, compared to China’s 148 million.

• India has 133 million people over 30 years with untreated diabetes, compared to 78 million in China.

• The methodology used for data analysis, including fasting plasma glucose or HbA1c, has contributed to the steep increase in diabetes prevalence.

• The study notes that excluding those with elevated glycated haemoglobin from the analysis misses out many people with diabetes, especially in south Asia.

• The role of tobacco in causing diabetes has not been adequately highlighted, with evidence showing that cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing diabetes by 30%-40%.

• Managing gestational diabetes is crucial in reducing the risk of both mother and child developing diabetes at a later date.

• India needs to rapidly scale up diagnosis to meet the 2030 WHO target for diabetes, ensuring 80% of people with diabetes are diagnosed and have good control of glycaemia.