Commonly known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), these diseases pose significant health risks, but adopting a healthy lifestyle is important and can help significantly reduce the risk.
Updated on – August 18, 2024 5:06 p.m.
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NEW DELHI: In our hectic lives where chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer etc are rampant, the age-old adage 'prevention is better than cure' holds more meaning than ever. Though these non-communicable diseases (NDCs) are becoming a serious health threat, experts on Sunday stressed that adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce these risks.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs are a major health problem worldwide, causing 41 million deaths each year, which is 74% of all deaths. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and early detection and prevention are needed to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Lifestyle changes, stress management and regular health check-ups can reduce costs and improve quality of life, Dr Venus Taneja, consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.
Dr Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, Consultant Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi, pointed out that a healthy diet including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, combined with regular exercise, can help prevent NDC, and stressed that to further strengthen the body's defences, people should maintain a healthy weight, manage stress and avoid harmful habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
A recent national health report by Apollo Hospitals found that nearly three in four Indians are obese or overweight, and the incidence of obesity is set to increase from 9% in 2016 to 20% by 2023.
The incidence of hypertension is set to increase from 9% in 2016 to 13% by 2023, with two in three Indians, or 66%, at the pre-hypertension stage. Moreover, data shows that one in ten people have uncontrolled diabetes and one in three are pre-diabetic. Young Indians are also increasingly facing the challenge of cancer.
Recently published dietary guidelines for Indians by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and ICMR reveal that over 10% of 5-19 year olds are pre-diabetic. The WHO projects that as of March 2024, 77 million Indians aged 18 and above will have type 2 diabetes and a further 25 million will be pre-diabetic.
The numbers are expected to grow sharply in the coming years.Unhealthy lifestyle choices due to a diet high in sugar, salt and fat, along with sedentary lifestyle, environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, alcohol consumption, increasing air pollution, and an ageing population are the main contributing factors leading to NCDs.
Dr Kalpana Nagpal, senior consultant, ENT department, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, told IANS that vaccines are very important in preventing diseases. Experts also stressed on the importance of regular check-ups as many diseases like diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers do not show any symptoms in the initial stages.
Regular check-ups can help detect these conditions before they progress, increasing the chances of successful treatment. Timely medical treatment is also important in case of lumps, ulcers and cancer. Regular colonoscopies and sleep tests are also recommended, especially for people over 40, she said.
