India Faces Rising Young-Onset Diabetes, Warns Expert on World Diabetes Day
Dr Krishna Reddy Thaduri stresses early screening, lifestyle balance, and integrated care for all age groups.
The theme for this year’s World Health Organization (WHO) World Diabetes Day — “Diabetes Across Life Stages” — highlights the importance of ensuring that every person living with diabetes has access to integrated care, supportive environments, and policies that promote health, dignity, and self-management.
A 2025 study revealed that the prevalence of young-onset type 2 diabetes in India is 17.2% among individuals under 40 years, with a higher occurrence in males (10.6%) compared to females (6.5%). The risk increases with age, peaking in the 36–40-year age group.
Dr. Krishna Reddy Thaduri, Consultant Endocrinologist, KIMS Hospitals, Kondapur
The COVID-19 pandemic further worsened risk factors by increasing sedentary behaviour, disrupting sleep, and promoting unhealthy eating habits, especially among the youth. Combined with a genetic predisposition common among South Asians, a hectic lifestyle, neglect of health, and rising obesity rates are contributing to the earlier onset of diabetes in India’s younger population.
It is crucial to manage diabetes across all life stages. Early screening of high-risk individuals can lead to timely detection, and for those diagnosed, the focus must shift to preventing complications such as heart attacks, strokes, amputations, eye diseases, kidney failure, and neuropathy.
Sustained diabetes management is possible only through regular monitoring of diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and blood parameters, along with routine doctor visits, patient support programmes, and active involvement of family members in informed decision-making.
This article is authored by Dr Krishna Reddy Thaduri, Consultant Endocrinologist at KIMS Hospitals, Kondapur.
