Study reveals age of onset of 7 diseases

More than half of the Indians who develop any of the seven chronic diseases including hypertension, cancer and neurological disorders, get them by the time they turn 53, according to a new study that for the first time provides the age of onset for these diseases affecting millions of Indians.

The new research has not only underlined the spread of these ailments in society but also flagged the worrying trend of the working class population aged between 40 and 50 years contributing equally to the disease burden as elderly individuals.

While the study estimated 53 as the median age for any of the seven chronic diseases, the age of onset varies for individual diseases.

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It is as low as 51 years for cancer and as high as 59 years for heart disease and stroke. Others fall in between. They are hypertension (55 years), diabetes (54), lung diseases (55), arthritis (56) and neurological illnesses (54).

With almost one-fifth of the world’s population, India is undergoing a major health and epidemiological shift. The share of communicable diseases decreased from 61% in 1990 to 33% in 2016, but there was a corresponding increase in years lost due to premature death and chronic disease from 30% in 1990 to 55% in 2016.

“The estimates of the age of onset of non-communicable diseases remain unclear in India. Such an estimate provides an in-depth view of the relationship between life expectancy and health status, and allows for a proper explanation of future healthcare needs and spending from a policy perspective,” said the study conducted by researchers at International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai.

One of the unexpected findings is the discovery of a higher risk of developing neurological disorders among people in the 45-54 age group as against the 65 plus population. The younger lot is twice at risk when compared to the senior citizens.

The researchers used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted from April 2017 to December 2018, in all states and UTs. They used inputs from more than 65,000 individuals for the study that appeared in the journal Scientific Reports.

While the early onset of hypertension, arthritis, and cancer was evident in females, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease/stroke, and neurological disease were more prominent among male adults and the elderly.

Arthritis risk was higher in rural areas, and physically active adults and the elderly were 1.32 times more likely to develop heart disease/stroke.

The researchers also looked at the highest risk age-band for chronic diseases and found a clear shift towards people in their 40s. This means the risk factors develop early in their lives though the disease manifests a decade later.

The highest risk age band for diabetes is 46-61 years whereas that for heart disease/stroke is 50-65 years and arthritis is 49-63 years. For neurological conditions, the highest-risk age band is 45-64 years whereas for cancer it is 46-61 years.

“Our finding highlighted the importance of targeting the whole population, i.e. educated and uneducated, urban and rural, rich and poor, as they all struggle with some chronic disease. The early onset of chronic diseases in the independent and working-age category (45–54 years) can have many social and economic implications. It can create a greater healthcare burden when these individuals grow older with these diseases,” the researchers reported.