A new Healthians report analysing over 1.6 million HbA1c tests highlights a significant increase in abnormal blood sugar readings in India, with notable regional and age-related variations, reflecting the growing diabetes challenge amid complex testing patterns.
Healthians’ latest testing data suggests that abnormal blood sugar readings are common among people who undergo HbA1c screening, but the figures also underline an important caveat: they reflect a tested population, not India as a whole. The health-tech company said it reviewed 1,626,606 HbA1c tests carried out between January and July 2026 across 337 Indian cities, and found that 787,142 results, or 48.4%, were above the normal threshold. The HbA1c, or glycated haemoglobin, test measures average blood glucose over the previous two to three months, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says readings below 5.7% are generally normal, 5.7% to 6.4% point to prediabetes and 6.5% or above usually fall in the diabetes range.
The Healthians report shows a sharp rise in abnormal results with age. Among children and teenagers aged 0 to 17, 13.6% of tests were abnormal, rising slightly to 15.7% for those aged 18 to 30. The share then climbed markedly to 38.5% for people aged 31 to 45, 68.2% for those aged 46 to 60 and 79.3% among people aged 61 and above. MedlinePlus, the US government health information service, notes that HbA1c is used to diagnose prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, but also warns that certain conditions and medicines can affect results.
The company’s data also showed a gap between men and women, with 50.8% of male test-takers recording abnormal results compared with 45.9% of female test-takers. Healthians said that difference may reflect a mix of factors, including age, lifestyle, medical history, family history and who chooses to get tested, rather than any simple biological explanation. That caution matters, because the report is based on people who came forward for testing and therefore cannot be read as a random sample of the wider population.
Geographical differences were equally striking. Healthians said the South recorded the highest share of abnormal results among the regions it analysed, at 55.0%, followed by the East at 53.6% and the West at 51.4%, while the North was lowest at 44.8%. At state level, Telangana had the highest proportion of abnormal HbA1c results at 66.5%, ahead of Andhra Pradesh at 65.2% and Rajasthan at 61.7%, while Assam was lowest at 33.6%. City-level figures showed a similar spread, with Bhopal at 69.1% and Hyderabad at 64.6% among the highest, while Gurugram, Noida and Greater Noida were among the lowest. Healthians said these variations should be interpreted as diagnostic testing patterns, not prevalence rates for entire states or cities, and further analysis would be needed to explain why they differ so widely.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
