By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : April 07, 2026 7:24 pm
Health of the Nation 2026, based on over 3 million assessments, finds rising diabetes, obesity, and hidden cardiac risks in under-30s and working professionals
Apollo Hospitals’ sixth edition of the Health of the Nation 2026 report has flagged a significant shift in India’s disease burden, showing that major health risks are emerging earlier, remaining hidden longer, and often going undetected until they worsen.
Released on World Health Day, the report draws on more than 3 million preventive health assessments conducted across Apollo’s ecosystem in 2025 and highlights the growing prevalence of silent non-communicable disease (NCD) risks among young adults and working-age populations.
The findings show that two in three young adults are already at risk for NCDs, while in the working population—where the average age is 38—nearly half have prediabetes or diabetes, 8 in 10 are overweight, and one in four has high blood pressure. Among individuals under 30, one in five was found to be prediabetic, with the company noting that timely intervention helped 28% reverse to normal levels, compared with just 7% among those over 50.
The report also highlights the scale of India’s silent nutritional and metabolic burden. Nearly 70% of younger adults were Vitamin D deficient, close to half had low Vitamin B12, and more than half showed obesity or abnormal cholesterol levels. Apollo said these risks are increasingly surfacing well before symptoms appear, reinforcing the case for preventive and continuous health monitoring.
A major insight from the report is that traditional blood tests alone may miss underlying disease risks. Apollo found that 74% of individuals with fatty liver confirmed via ultrasound had normal liver enzyme levels, while 45% of asymptomatic people undergoing coronary calcium scoring already showed early signs of atherosclerosis. The report also linked reduced gut microbiome diversity with rising diabetes, obesity, and cholesterol-related conditions.
Women’s health emerged as a critical theme, with the report showing distinct risks such as anaemia, central obesity, and earlier breast cancer detection, where the average detection age stood at 51—nearly a decade earlier than Western populations. Among women above 40 screened through routine mammography, one in 359 was diagnosed with asymptomatic breast cancer.
Apollo said the findings strengthen the case for a shift from symptom-led healthcare to predictive, personalised, and continuous care models, combining advanced diagnostics, imaging, AI-led risk stratification, and physician-guided follow-up. The hospital chain added that 56% of individuals with high blood pressure and 34% with diabetes showed improvement after following recommended care pathways, underscoring the value of continuity in preventive healthcare.