Detecting NCDs Before They Define the Future

Presenter: Indira Jayakumar

Affiliations: Apollo SHINE Foundation, India

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation (Virtual)

Title: The Silent Epidemic: Non-Communicable Diseases in Students

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🧠 Presentation Highlights

🌍 Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rapidly increasing among adolescents and young adults due to unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, stress, and poor sleep patterns. Early adulthood is a critical stage to detect cardiometabolic risks and prevent long-term disease progression.

🔬 Study Overview

A large multi-year screening program assessed over 101,000 college students.
Health evaluations included:

·         📏 BMI & waist circumference

·         🩸 Blood pressure & blood sugar

·         🧪 HbA1c & lipid profiles

·         🧬 Hemoglobin levels

·         🧠 Lifestyle and mental health questionnaires

A focused analysis was conducted among 10,000+ high-risk students.

⚠️ Key Findings

⚖️ Weight & Nutrition

·         Only 38.6% had normal BMI

·         43% were overweight or obese

·         18.4% were underweight (dual burden of malnutrition)

❤️ Cardiometabolic Risks

·         40% overweight/obese in high-risk group

·         30% increased waist circumference

·         1 in 8 diabetic or high diabetes risk

·         1 in 6 abnormal lipid levels

·         Stage II hypertension in 1 in 50 students

🧬 Lipid Abnormalities

Elevated triglycerides often coexisted with high LDL, low HDL, and abnormal cholesterol ratios.

⚧ Gender Differences

·         Females: Higher central obesity, anemia, elevated HbA1c

·         Males: Higher blood pressure

·         Both: High risk of obesity and dyslipidemia

🧠 Mental Health & Lifestyle

·         40.8% reported anxiety

·         35.8% sleep disturbances

·         25.2% considered professional support

·         Only 16.3% met recommended physical activity levels

🚨 Conclusion

This study reveals that the foundations of NCDs are being laid alarmingly early. The coexistence of obesity, diabetes risk, dyslipidemia, anemia, hypertension, and mental health concerns in young, often asymptomatic students is a serious public health warning.

🏫 Early screening, awareness programs, and preventive strategies within educational institutions are essential to curb this silent epidemic and safeguard future generations.

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👩⚕️ About the Speakers

Dr (Professor) Indira Jayakumar is Senior consultant and Lead Pediatric Intensivist at Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai with 35 years experience in pediatrics. She is also the Medical Director of Apollo SHINE Foundation, a not for profit organization, focusing on campus student health at schools and colleges across India. The large scale screening for the study was conducted through the Apollo SHINE organization.

 

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Event: International Conference on Pediatrics, Neonatology & Child Health
📅 March 26–28, 2026
📍 Singapore & Online

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