New Delhi, 7 April

The fifth edition of the Health of the Nation (HoN) report underlined the "silent epidemic" of lifestyle diseases among Indians. The report highlighted that millions of Indians suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease, based on data from over 2.5 million health check-ups.

Meanwhile, nearly one in three college students screened was overweight or obese, and 19 per cent were found to be pre-hypertensive - indicating that lifestyle diseases are affecting young adults much earlier than previously recognised.

Six per cent of the 47,000 people screened showed signs of clinical depression, with the highest burden among middle-aged adults. Experts called for a nationwide shift from symptom-based treatment to preventive healthcare.