Around 28% of corporate employees have hypertension (high blood pressure) and 48% have dyslipidaemia (high cholesterol) while 18% are diabetic and an equal percentage obese.
These are some of the findings published in the ‘Health of the Nation Report 2022’, which was released by Apollo Hospitals on Wednesday, the eve of World Health Day. Estimates were drawn based on 35,000 employees who underwent health checks at the hospitals in 2021.
The report also gives insights into the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive lung diseases and asthma, across the country. It also mapped the prevalence of NCDs in various States.
The hospital administration said that data for the report was gathered from responses to COVID-19 Risk Assessment Scanner by Apollo 24/7. Around 3.8 lakh responses were considered, which were segregated according to pin code and medical history.
According to that data, the national prevalence of hypertension was found to be 8.2%, diabetes mellitus 7%, and 2% for chronic obstructive lung diseases and asthma. In Telangana, the prevalence of hypertension is 8.18% to 11%, and diabetes is over 8.2%.
“The last year saw the country steadily building a bulwark against COVID-19 with a robust vaccination program that led to a steady fall in the number of COVID cases. As we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, it is imperative to bring the focus back on the pandemic of NCDs, a focus that faced a disruption impacting diagnosis and treatment for millions of patients. In India, NCDs kill 6 million people every year, of which around 23% are aged between 30 and 70 years,” Apollo Hospitals chairman Prathap C. Reddy said.
Joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals Group Sangita Reddy said, “NCDs are fuelled by many factors that include urban lifestyles with stress and unhealthy diets and an ageing population. Study results, derived from 35,000 health checks done with corporates in 2021, has also shown a high prevalence of NCDs among corporate employees. These insights will help us use technology to gain an upper hand in ensuring a healthy workforce.”
