While Delhi appears to be making progress in controlling hypertension, a new challenge is emerging. Data from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) show a sharp rise in the share of adults with high blood sugar levels or those taking medication for diabetes, highlighting the growing burden of lifestyle-related diseases in the national capital.
Among women aged 15 and above, the proportion with high or very high blood sugar levels, or those taking medication to control blood sugar, rose from 12.2 per cent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 19 per cent in NFHS-6 (2023-24). The increase was even steeper among men, climbing from 14.1 per cent to 22.2 per cent over the same period.
The trend contrasts with improvements in blood pressure indicators. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure among women fell from 24.1 per cent in NFHS-5 to 21.4 per cent in NFHS-6. Data for men also show a decline in severe hypertension.
The findings suggest that while awareness, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension may be improving, Delhi is seeing a parallel rise in metabolic disorders linked to sedentary lifestyles, changing diets and urban living.
The survey also underlines the scale of the challenge. More than one in five men and nearly one in five women in Delhi now have high blood sugar levels or are taking medication for diabetes.
Public health experts have repeatedly warned that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes are becoming a major burden in urban India. Delhi’s latest NFHS data show that the capital is no exception.
The figures come at a time when policymakers are grappling with rising healthcare costs linked to chronic illnesses and growing concerns about the long-term impact of lifestyle diseases on the working-age population.
