The Silent Alarms: Rising Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure in India’s Young Generation
In a nation where tradition and modernity collide at every turn, India’s healthcare landscape is witnessing an alarming trend. Once considered problems of adulthood, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia/early diabetes) and high blood pressure (hypertension) are now increasingly being detected in newborns, children, and youngsters . This isn’t just a ripple; it’s a wave threatening to reshape the future of public health in the country. A Shift in the Health Timeline Until recently, lifestyle disorders like diabetes and hypertension were seen as “middle-age” issues. But today, pediatricians across India report growing cases of juvenile diabetes , childhood obesity-induced hypertension , and even metabolic syndromes among children as young as five. Case in Point: A study published by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that nearly 1 in 10 Indian teenagers is either pre-diabetic or diabetic. Meanwhile, pediatric hypertension —previously rare—is now being picked up m...