ICMR-INDIAB Study Reveals 18.9 % Diabetes Prevalence In Jammu, 26.5 % In Urban Areas

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), has unveiled crucial data from the ICMR-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) national study for the Union Territory of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. 

According to the study, diabetes prevalence in Jammu stands at 18.9 per cent, with 26.5 per cent in urban areas and 14.5 per cent in rural areas. Additionally, 10.8 per cent of the population suffers from prediabetes, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive intervention against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Honorable Union Minister, praised the study as the first representative research on diabetes and related metabolic disorders in the region. "This data will assist in assessing the health burden and improving prevention strategies in Jammu," he stated. He further congratulated the team for completing this vital study on schedule.

The study, part of a larger nationwide survey conducted by MDRF with ICMR’s support, covered 1,520 participants in Jammu. It offers insights into diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other metabolic risk factors across both urban and rural populations.

Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of MDRF, noted that the ICMR-INDIAB study, covering all Indian states and Union Territories, is one of the largest epidemiological studies on diabetes globally, with 1,21,077 participants screened. He emphasized that rural areas are now significantly affected by the diabetes epidemic, signaling a need for targeted interventions.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar Gupta, Principal Investigator for the Jammu region, reported, “40 per cent of individuals in Jammu had undiagnosed diabetes. The prevalence of hypertension, generalized obesity, and abdominal obesity in Jammu is 27.1 per cent, 41.7 per cent, and 62.7 per cent, respectively.”