By Team INVC | INVC NEWS
NEW DELHI, India | September 15, 2026 —
NCD risk factors in India remain an important public-health concern as high blood pressure, raised blood glucose, higher body weight, insufficient physical activity, tobacco use and unhealthy dietary patterns can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Data from the National Noncommunicable Disease Monitoring Survey (NNMS) 2017–18 provide a detailed picture of these risk factors among adults aged 18–69 at the time of the survey.
However, these numbers require an important clarification. They represent findings from the 2017–18 survey period and should not be presented as India’s current 2026 prevalence.
Even so, the findings offer valuable insight into the lifestyle and metabolic factors that can influence long-term health.
High blood pressure emerged as a major warning
The NNMS found that 28.5% of surveyed adults had elevated blood pressure.
High blood pressure can develop without obvious symptoms. As a result, some people may remain unaware of elevated readings until routine screening identifies them.
Persistently high blood pressure can increase cardiovascular risk. Therefore, regular monitoring can play an important role in early detection, particularly for people who have additional risk factors.
Raised blood glucose affected 9.3% of surveyed adults
Another significant finding involved blood glucose.
According to the NNMS, 9.3% of surveyed adults had raised blood glucose.
Persistently elevated blood glucose can indicate a metabolic problem that requires further medical assessment. Early identification can also give people an opportunity to discuss diet, physical activity and other appropriate measures with a qualified healthcare professional.
Regular health checks become particularly valuable when several risk factors occur together.
Body weight and waist measurements highlighted metabolic risk
Body-weight measurements provided another important finding.
The NNMS found that 26.1% of surveyed adults had a higher body weight based on the BMI thresholds used in the survey, while 6.2% met its obesity criteria.
In addition, 32.2% of surveyed adults had waist measurements that met the survey’s criteria for central obesity.
These measurements can help healthcare professionals assess metabolic and cardiovascular risk. However, body size alone does not determine a person’s health.
Clinicians generally consider several indicators together, including blood pressure, blood glucose, medical history, physical activity and other individual factors.
Physical inactivity affected 41.3%
One of the most notable findings involved physical activity.
The survey found that 41.3% of adults had insufficient physical activity.
Regular movement supports cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health and overall well-being. However, the appropriate amount and intensity of physical activity can differ according to a person’s age, health and medical circumstances.
For many people, increasing everyday movement can be an important part of a broader preventive-health strategy.
Diet revealed another striking concern
Food habits produced one of the survey’s biggest numbers.
The NNMS found that 98.4% of surveyed adults consumed fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
The survey also reported average salt consumption of around 8 grams per day.
A balanced diet can contribute to better long-term health. Fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods can form part of that approach, while managing excessive sodium intake may also support cardiovascular health.
Rather than focusing on a single food, people can benefit from considering the overall quality and balance of their diet.
Tobacco use remained another preventable risk
The NNMS reported tobacco use among 32.8% of surveyed adults.
Tobacco exposure is associated with several serious diseases and represents an important preventable health risk.
Avoiding tobacco can therefore form a major part of an NCD prevention strategy.
The survey also reported alcohol use among 15.9% of surveyed adults.
Individual health risk depends on several factors, which means personal medical advice should come from a qualified healthcare professional familiar with a person’s circumstances.
Cardiovascular risk increased among adults aged 40–69
The survey also examined cardiovascular risk among people aged 40–69.
It found that 12.8% of surveyed adults in this age group either had an estimated 30% or greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease within 10 years or already had cardiovascular disease.
This finding underlines the importance of identifying risk factors before serious complications develop.
Blood-pressure measurement, blood-glucose testing and appropriate clinical assessment can help people better understand their individual risk.
Prevention begins with knowing your numbers
The NNMS findings point toward a simple but powerful preventive-health message: know your health numbers before symptoms force you to act.
Blood pressure and blood glucose are among the indicators that healthcare professionals can assess during routine screening. Depending on individual circumstances, clinicians may also consider waist measurements, cholesterol levels, family history and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Physical activity, nutritious food choices and avoiding tobacco can also support long-term health.
Most importantly, people should not diagnose themselves from population statistics. Survey percentages describe groups; they cannot determine an individual’s health status.
Anyone concerned about blood pressure, blood glucose, heart health or another risk factor should seek appropriate medical assessment.
India’s NNMS 2017–18 may provide a historical snapshot, but its broader preventive-health message remains relevant: many chronic-disease risks can develop quietly, while screening can help identify problems earlier.
