A national study published in The Lancet Global Health reveals that nearly one in five Indians aged 45 and above had diabetes in 2019, highlighting a growing chronic disease burden amid India’s rapidly ageing population.
Findings from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) indicate that in 2019, approximately 20% of individuals aged 45 and older were living with diabetes, with nearly 40% of them potentially unaware of their condition. The analysis, which covered over 60,000 participants across all states and union territories, offers one of the most comprehensive assessments of diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control among middle-aged and older Indians.
According to The Economic Times, the study was conducted between 2017 and 2019 and reflects data from the first wave of LASI. Researchers from the International Institute for Population Sciences (Mumbai) and partner institutions in the U.S. noted significant urban-rural disparities: diabetes prevalence in urban areas was found to be nearly double that of rural regions. The findings also revealed that more economically developed states had higher prevalence rates, with some reporting diabetes in one-third or more of their 45+ populations.
Of those who were aware of their diabetic condition, 46% achieved glycaemic control, and 60% managed to control their blood pressure. However, only 6% of the total cohort were using lipid-lowering medications to mitigate cardiovascular risks, indicating a treatment gap in comprehensive chronic disease management.
The authors compared their findings to previous surveys, such as the ICMR-INDIAB study (2008–2020), noting modest improvements in glycaemic and blood pressure control but a lower uptake of preventive cardiovascular interventions. The data also reinforced the ongoing nutritional transition in India, where higher socioeconomic groups report greater diabetes prevalence, diverging from trends typically seen in low-income countries.
The report underscores the growing concern that the absolute number of diabetes cases in India’s ageing population will continue to rise, even if age-specific prevalence levels off. With over 50 million adults aged 45 and above estimated to have diabetes, the public health implications are significant, calling for targeted policies, improved screening efforts, and expanded access to long-term chronic care services.
As India navigates its demographic transition, these findings highlight the need for scalable, region-specific interventions that address not just treatment, but awareness and prevention, especially in older age groups. The LASI data provides a critical reference point for both central and state-level health systems in designing age-aligned diabetes response strategies.
