CHENNAI: Apollo’s Health of Nation report showed noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continue to be a concern. Data showed that amongst Indians who have undergone health checks in the last three years at Apollo, 50% had obesity.
The data also showed that 18% had cholesterol, 11% had hypertension and 8% had diabetes. However, the report did not mention whether these people were known cases or detected for the first time during the health check-up. The hospital also gave depression questionnaires to about 2,000 people with Type 2 diabetes to understand their mental health status.
The analysis showed that with every unit increase in age and BMI, the depression score also increased. About 50% had some form of depression, and diabetes along with any weight-related comorbidity is an indicator to screen for depression. The reports found that diabetes is prevalent in one in three people with a history of the condition in their family. In one study with 20,000 people, 47% have sleep problems and 52% have impairments in their mental health and one in three have both issues.
“Preventive healthcare needs to become a national priority. Over the past three decades, non-communicable diseases have become the leading cause of death and suffering, contributing to 65% of deaths in India. What we need is a proactive and highly defined strategy to minimize the impact of NCDs. The best solution is prevention, “Dr Prathap Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group was quoted.