BENGALURU: Only one in four individuals are disease-free by the age of 30, and this drops sharply to just 7% by 40, indicating that the steepest health decline in India now occurs in early adulthood, according to a recently released report.Based on over three million preventive health assessments conducted in 2025, Apollo Hospitals’ Health of the Nation 2026 report highlights that lifestyle diseases are setting in earlier and often remain undetected, with risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) widespread across both young and working populations — even before symptoms appear.Among young adults, the findings are particularly concerning. Early screening of 20,164 students aged 17–25 years found that nearly two in three had at least one underlying health risk. Further, one in five individuals under 30 were prediabetic — a condition that remains reversible at this stage. However, the benefits of early intervention were stark: 28% of those who took corrective action returned to normal blood sugar levels, compared with just 7% among those over 50 years of age.Apart from blood sugar, more than half of the young individuals were obese and had abnormal cholesterol levels. Nearly 70% were deficient in vitamin D, and close to half had low vitamin B12. Further, nearly two-thirds showed poor flexibility, strength, or balance — markers of declining physical function linked to stiffer arteries, higher fall risk, and shorter lifespan.The report also indicates that metabolic decline begins silently years before diagnosis. Among individuals tracked over time, weight and blood pressure became abnormal within just 1.4 years even when initial tests were normal, followed by cholesterol and fatty liver, with blood sugar worsening later, suggesting that visible disease is often the last stage.In the working population, with an average age of 38 years, eight in 10 were overweight, nearly half were prediabetic or diabetic, and one in four had high blood pressure. The findings suggest that metabolic disorders are becoming the norm rather than the exception in India’s workforce, driven in part by sedentary lifestyles.“Gender-specific insights present distinct risks, such as anaemia and early onset of breast cancer. High levels of vitamin D and B12 deficiencies, along with declining fitness gaps, further highlight the scale of silent health risks. Because risks differ by age, gender, and lifestyle, looking at the whole person, not just isolated symptoms, is the key to meaningful, lasting health transformation,” the report noted.The report stressed that traditional screening methods may not be sufficient to detect early diseases. For instance, 74% of individuals with fatty liver identified through ultrasound had normal liver enzyme levels, while 45% of asymptomatic individuals undergoing coronary calcium scoring showed early signs of atherosclerosis. It therefore calls for a shift towards predictive, personalized, and multilayered screening combining advanced diagnostics, data analytics, and continuous monitoring.The report also underscores that early action can significantly improve outcomes. Among those who followed recommended care, 56% saw improvement in hypertension and 34% in diabetes markers, reinforcing the importance of timely intervention and continuous monitoring.17% in Bengaluru had diabetes and 23% hypertensionThe report’s city-wise analysis also highlights notable trends in Bengaluru. Among those screened, about 17% were found to have diabetes, while 23% had hypertension and nearly 78% were overweight or obese. While the city reports comparatively lower diabetes prevalence than some southern counterparts such as Madurai and Trichy, the high levels of obesity indicate a growing metabolic risk driven by sedentary lifestyles, according to the report. The findings suggest that even in relatively better-performing urban centers like Bengaluru, underlying risk factors remain widespread and could translate into higher disease burden over time.