Diabetes In Young People On The Rise, India Emerging As Disease Epicenter, Warns Endocrinologist
In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Dr Ashraf Ganai said the disease is on the rise even in school-going children.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 5:58 PM IST
By Parvez ud Din
Srinagar: Diabetes, which was traditionally prevalent more in people above 40 years, is now affecting the younger population with India emerging as the disease epicenter after China, a noted endocrinologist has said.
In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Ganai, a renowned endocrinologist of Kashmir Valley and Director of the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura talked in detail about the rising cases of diabetes and the changing disease trends.
What Is Diabetes?
Dr Ganai said that the human body needs glucose as a source of energy for all the cells of the muscles, tissues and brain. At any given time, the level of glucose in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas.
“In people with diabetes, the insulin secreted by the pancreas is insufficient or the body’s cells become resistant to insulin. This results in an increase in the level of glucose in the blood, which is commonly called high blood sugar,” he explained.
Dr Ganai said that diabetes is a lifelong disease that a few years ago was common in people over 40 years of age, but now this disease is increasing rapidly not only in young people under 25 years of age but also in school-going children.
“Overall, diabetes is becoming an epidemic in the country as well as in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. He claimed that India's population has “surpassed China” in terms of diabetes patients.
“Earlier, China used to be the epicenter of diabetes in terms of population, but now India has become the epicenter of diabetes and the dangerous disease of diabetes is affecting people over 40 as well as the young population”.
He said that in Europe and America, diabetes is more common in people over 60 years of age. “But as far as India is concerned, diabetes is found in people between 30 and 40 years of age, an age group considered to be the asset of the country. This same asset is being affected by diabetes and the more this disease affects the young population of the country, the more it can affect our economy”.
Citing a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Dr. Ganai said that in Ladakh union territory, a total of 3 percent of the population is affected by diabetes. In Kashmir province, it is three times more than Ladakh, i.e. 9 percent, while in Jammu province, it is the highest at 18 percent, he said.
Dr Ganai said that due to urbanization, a rapid increase in diabetes is being recorded. “Now not only is this disease limited to the urban population, but it has also engulfed the villages and even our tribal population. Which could not have been imagined a few years ago,” he said.
Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
Dr Ganai said that Type One diabetes, which is also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
On the other hand, in Type Two diabetes, the body does not use insulin properly, which is called insulin resistance. Initially, the pancreas makes extra insulin for this, but over time it can't keep up and can't make enough insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels.
Dr Ganai warned that prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes in young people. “Diabetes increases the chances of heart disease, kidney damage and stroke. In prediabetes, sugar (glucose) is not processed properly due to a lack of response from cells to insulin. This results in high blood sugar levels, which can lead to diabetes,” he said.
According to Dr Ganai, the cause of this insulin resistance is unknown. However, some factors like being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to pre-diabetes, he said.
Dr Ganai said that Type 2 diabetes is generally found more in young people while Type 1 diabetes is seen in children. He said that obesity and PCOS(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) increase the risk of developing diabetes in young girls.
Over the preventive measures, Dr Ganai said that diabetes mostly depends on genetic and environmental factors, but one can keep blood sugar at the appropriate level with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Adopting a healthy diet is the first condition, he said.
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