Heart risk among India’s young workforce: Report flags 58.5 pc under-35 employees
The report, released as India marks World Heart Day today (September 29), also found that 60 per cent of employees under 35 who had a normal BMI had at least one other flagged health marker, particularly cholesterol-related measures
Being young and having a normal body weight may not necessarily mean being free from cardiovascular risk, with new workplace health data pointing to the growing presence of heart-risk markers among India's younger workforce.
The Young Workforce Heart Health Report 2026 by ekincare, based on health check-up data from 2 lakh employees, found that 58.5% of employees below 35 were flagged on cardiovascular risk markers. The findings suggest that heart-health screening may need to begin well before the age at which cardiovascular disease is traditionally associated with middle or older age.
World Heart Day
The report, released as India marks World Heart Day today (September 29), also found that 60 per cent of employees under 35 who had a normal BMI had at least one other flagged health marker, particularly cholesterol-related measures.
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The distinction is important because BMI is only one measure of health. A person can fall within a normal weight range while still having high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar or unhealthy cholesterol levels — factors that are associated with cardiovascular risk.
ekincare, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Hyderabad, is a digital health benefits platform offering preventive healthcare, health check-ups, telemedicine and wellness services. Its Young Workforce Heart Health Report 2026 analysed health check-up data from 2 lakh employees across different age groups, genders and metro and non-metro locations.
The report examines cardiovascular risk among younger employees, with a particular focus on those under 35, including Gen Z employees aged 20-27 and Millennials aged 28-40, and assesses markers such as blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Blood sugar raises concern
Among the health markers tracked by ekincare, blood sugar emerged as an area requiring closer attention. The report said that while cholesterol and blood-pressure markers had eased compared with 2023, blood-sugar risk increased by 4.3 percentage points, with a sharp rise recorded in 2024.
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The youngest group also showed a mixed pattern. Among Gen Z employees aged 20-27, the report found that HDL cholesterol moved up by 7.4 points and blood sugar by 1.3 points since 2023, even though overall risk trends among young employees had not increased.
The figures should not be interpreted as evidence that these employees had heart disease. Rather, the report identifies health markers that ekincare categorised as cardiovascular risk indicators.
Men record higher flagged risk
The analysis also found a sizeable difference between male and female employees. Some 67.6 per cent of men were flagged on cardiovascular risk markers, compared with 53.2 per cent of women, a gap of 14.4 percentage points.
Risk also varied by age. Employees classified as Millennials, aged 28-40, recorded a higher flagged-risk rate than Gen Z employees aged 20-27, with an 18.4 percentage-point difference.
Employees using healthcare providers in metro locations recorded a cardiovascular risk rate of 63.1 per cent, compared with 59 per cent in non-metro locations, according to the report.
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These findings come from an employee health-check population and should not be treated as a direct estimate of cardiovascular risk among India's entire young population.
India already carries a heavy cardiovascular burden
The broader health picture makes the findings relevant. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally, and the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies high blood pressure, raised blood glucose and abnormal blood lipids among important intermediate risk factors. It also lists tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol use and air pollution among major contributors.
India has a particularly significant cardiovascular burden. The World Heart Federation's country profile, drawing on the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) data, estimates more than 3.16 million cardiovascular deaths in India in 2024.
Research has also documented the earlier onset of cardiovascular disease among Indians. A review published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia described cardiovascular disease in India as being characterised by earlier onset, higher case fatality and a substantial burden of premature deaths.
Why younger heart risk matters to India
A rise in cardiovascular risk during the working years can have consequences beyond the individual. Young and middle-aged adults often support families, build careers and contribute to household income. Illness at this stage can therefore affect families, employers and healthcare systems simultaneously.
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For companies, the findings could strengthen the case for moving beyond one-time wellness campaigns towards regular screening and follow-up of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
The ekincare report found that among employees who underwent a second health check, 43 per cent showed improvement, while 19.8 per cent showed a decline. The finding indicates an association between repeat assessments and changes in health markers, although it does not establish that the repeat check itself caused the improvement.
Kiran Kalakuntla, CEO and co-founder of ekincare, said the findings show why age and BMI alone are not enough to assess health risk and argued for earlier identification and personalised preventive interventions.
The message emerging from the data is straightforward: cardiovascular health cannot be judged by age, appearance or weight alone. For India's increasingly young workforce, tracking key health markers earlier could help identify risks before they develop into serious disease — making prevention a workplace and public-health priority rather than a concern reserved for later life.
