The Rise Of Preventive Healthcare In India

The healthcare industry is at a very crucial stage where ‘preventive healthcare’ is becoming an area of focus at any international or national healthcare platform today. The catchphrase has quickly caught attention in the public domain - and why not! The preventive model of healthcare is disruptive and makes sense across a lot of parameters – allowing us to manage health in a better manner, reducing the risk of diseases, helping us lead longer lives and of course - reducing the burden on traditional hospitals along with cutting the cost of public healthcare. 

Today, in urban India, healthcare tends to take a backseat for many due to hectic schedules and a fast-paced lifestyle. This can result in the development of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, heart disease that can be debilitating if not monitored in a timely manner. Thanks to advanced scientific research, we are sitting on a goldmine of health data that is available at our disposal. Everything today, from the changes in the environment to the impact of those changes on the human body, can be quantified. Advanced diagnostics offer in-depth insights into the human body and can detect signs of disease and aging much before they start manifesting in the body as markers of chronic disease. 

The preventive healthcare segment today is on a rising curve wherein the Indian market size is estimated to be worth over $55 billion, which is likely to become a $106-billion opportunity by 2022. The market is offering a tremendous opportunity for the healthcare players to move towards higher user and patient empowerment and better patient engagement models. It is because of those who are conscious about their health and have a rising disposable income, preventive healthcare is receiving an unprecedented boost at the urban and semi-urban levels. 

Preventive healthcare is indeed the purest form of anti-aging because it can allow people to ensure that the processes of biological aging affect them slowly and minimally. However, one has to take baby steps towards this to avoid any adverse effects considering it must be undertaken under the guidance of a metabolic anti-aging expert. For instance, some studies show that the imbalance or deficiency of a certain anti-oxidant called Glutathione may cause cancer or the deficiency of a certain heavy metal called chromium can lead to diabetes - but both these diseases are a result of a multitude of causes. Chances are that one might get lured to take those “cancer prevention” shots that boost Glutathione levels in your body but they must understand the bodily mechanism before taking a ’preventive’ course of action. 

So while more and more people are opening up to gaining more awareness and access to preemptive healthcare information over the internet or via alternate mediums, the chances of increasing life expectancy are also expecting a considerable improvement giving India an exceptional opportunity to become a healthy nation.