Over 80% Indians Show Lipid Derangements and Cholesterol Imbalance, Heightening Heart Risk, Reveals Redcliffe Labs’ Study

India, September 29, 2025: A comprehensive nationwide study by Redcliffe Labs, one of India’s fastest-growing diagnostic service providers, has uncovered deeply concerning trends in lipid, cardiac, and diabetes health markers across the country. Despite the rising burden of lifestyle-related diseases, preventive health checks remain underutilized, resulting in missed opportunities for early intervention.

The study analyzed over 7 million tests conducted between FY24 and FY25 and paints a troubling picture of India’s heart health:

• More than 40% of individuals showed signs of diabetes derangement, including abnormal HbA1c, fasting, or random glucose levels — significantly increasing their cardiovascular risk.

• These issues were more prevalent in men, making them especially vulnerable to sudden cardiac events.

• Lipid derangements (cholesterol and triglyceride imbalances), a key cause of heart disease, affected over 70% in 2024, and this rose to over 80% in 2025 — indicating a sharp year-on-year increase.

Dr. Prashant Nag, Chief Operating Medical Officer at Redcliffe Labs, commented:
“Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are a major culprit. Processed foods are easily accessible and widely consumed, leading to a dangerous cycle of high cholesterol, clogged arteries, and increased cardiac emergencies.”

Surprisingly, the health crisis is most pronounced in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Noida, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Ghaziabad, Patna, and Lucknow — where awareness and access to healthcare are relatively higher, but unhealthy lifestyle patterns persist.

The study also revealed:

• A rise in cardiac risk marker derangements from 60% in 2024 to 65% in 2025, with women showing higher abnormalities.

  • This suggests women may exhibit earlier signs of cardiac risk, offering a critical window for early intervention.

• Early onset of risk factors like high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar in young adults, including those under 20, especially in urban areas.

  • Diseases once associated with middle or older age are now appearing in younger, working-age populations.

Aditya Kandoi, CEO & Founder of Redcliffe Labs, said: “India cannot afford to sleepwalk into a cardiac epidemic. These aren’t just numbers — they’re indicators of a national health crisis. What’s even more concerning is that many people don’t get tested until it’s too late.”

To address this gap, Redcliffe Labs recently launched India’s Wake-Up Test, a bold initiative that offers a 100% refund if the test reports are 100% normal — encouraging healthy individuals to test without hesitation.

“If you’re healthy, you pay nothing — but if something is found, you gain the chance to act early,” Kandoi added.“Prevention is not an expense; it’s an investment in the nation’s future. We urge every Indian to prioritize regular health checks — for themselves, their families, and for a healthier India.”