India emerged as the world’s most populous nation in 2023, with an estimated population of 1.428 billion, according to UNICEF. The healthcare sector is a rapidly growing industry because of people’s growing awareness and focus on preventive healthcare and wellness. The top five common health issues amongst Indians are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), Diabetes, Respiratory diseases, Cancer, and Mental Health Disorders.
CVD is one of India’s most common causes of death. This is a group of diseases that affects the heart and blood vessels. It includes angina, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, atherosclerosis, etc. The risk factors for developing CVDs are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, reduced physical activity, tobacco, alcohol, stress, anxiety misuse of recreational drugs, and a diet rich in sugar, fat, and sodium.
Diabetes is an endocrine disorder leading to constant high blood sugar levels. It is characterized by dysregulated insulin release, which is responsible for uncontrolled blood sugar levels. There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, characterized by deficient insulin production, thus requiring daily administration of insulin, and Type 2 Diabetes, which stops the body from using insulin properly, caused by a confluence of genetic and environmental factors. Uncontrolled diabetes may lead to complications like kidney damage, peripheral nerve damage, eye damage, CVDs, and gangrene.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and lung cancer are common respiratory illnesses that are caused by the quality of air in many cities, active and passive smoking, tobacco use, and indoor air pollution. Communicable diseases such as Tuberculosis, Corona virus infections, and pneumonia are some of the other respiratory infections. Studies have shown that post-COVID-19 pandemic, chronic lung diseases have affected a large population.
According to the National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020, one in nine people in India is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime. The five leading sites of cancer in males are the lung, mouth, prostate, tongue, and stomach while for females it is the breast, cervix, ovary, uterus, and lung. No cancer has a single cause and the risk factors for cancer are genetic factors, diet, lifestyle, environmental pollution, alcohol and tobacco consumption, oral contraceptive pills, infections (HPV), etc. The increase in the cases of cancer is also because of more cancer screening available even in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Mental health disorders prevalent in India include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse. Various social and cultural factors influencing mental health are gender inequality, stress, competition, societal pressure, and lack of communication and expression. Access to mental healthcare remains a significant concern considering the social stigma and discrimination.
Early diagnosis helps to prevent the worst side effects of all the above diseases, and this can be achieved by regular annual preventive health check-ups, mindful eating, and a thoughtful lifestyle. Most importantly meditation, yoga, and exercise greatly enhance both physical and mental well-being.