It’s a boon that is silently taking a heavy toll on India’s urban population. Medical professionals across cities are warning against the ills of a sedentary lifestyle, linking it to a host of health issues such as chronic fatigue, dizziness, disturbed sleep and unnatural weight gain. All these, they warn, could also be symptoms of hormonal imbalance in the body.
Indeed, the spiralling numbers point to a disturbing trend. According to a study conducted by the department of endocrinology and metabolism of New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), an estimated 108 million Indians suffer from endocrinal and metabolic disorders, several of which are caused by environmental factors. And as urban India moves to a 24-hour work cycle, in several industry sectors such as customer care, hospitality and health care, perturbed endocrine functions as a result of daytime sleep and night-time work are set to increase.
The age factor
Typically, hormone levels peak in the 20–25-year age group, with a gradual decline setting in after 30–40 years. In the post 45–50-year age group, this decline can be precipitous, leading to a host of disorders, such as osteoporosis, diabetes and cholesterol build-up in arteries, all of which are considered age-related disorders.
“Modern lifestyles are now triggering a wave of accelerated ageing, with hormonal decline and associated disorders being manifested at much earlier ages,” says Ashok Kadambi, founder and president of Fort Wayne Endocrinology, a US–based endocrinology centre that has set up a subsidiary operation in Bangalore to treat disorders related to natural or bio-identical hormones. “Increasingly, professionals between 20 and 40 years of age come to me with symptoms of hormonal disorders,” says Mohan K. Rao, a Bangalore-based consultant endocrinologist.
Lifestyle adjustments
At least a quarter of those suffering from endocrinal disorders in India are afflicted with diabetes. “Urbanization unmasks the genetic tendency amongst Indians to develop diabetes,” says A. Sharda, senior endocrinologist and diabetologist at the Bangalore-based Samatvam Endocrinology Diabetes Center, an institution that specializes in treating and managing diabetes and other endocrine metabolic disorders. Dr Sharda says early diagnosis of risk factors and right lifestyle adjustments are crucial to arresting the growth of such disorders. Most of these conditions can be treated with lifestyle modification techniques and stress moderation through yoga and other exercise regimens.
However, more than one-third of all endocrinal disorders in India relates to thyroids. Dr Rao says: “Between 10% and 15% of Indians have some degree of thyroid dysfunction that goes largely undetected.” He adds that hypothyroidism or decreased thyroid function is more prevalent among women between 20 and 50.
Typical symptoms
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