Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Young Corporate Workers Show Early Heart Risk, Report Finds
A health report looked at check-up information from 200,000 company workers in India.
It found that more than half of workers younger than 35 had at least one warning sign linked to heart health.
Some workers had a normal weight but still had cholesterol or other health problems.
This means weight alone cannot show whether someone is healthy.
Blood sugar was a major concern because its risk increased over time.
Younger Gen Z workers had worsening results for good cholesterol and blood sugar, while Millennials improved in the measures studied.
Long work hours, sitting, stress, sleep problems, food choices, and smoking or vaping were mentioned as possible contributors.
The report recommends checking cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, not just height and weight.
It also says doctor advice and repeat checks can help people improve their health.
ekincare’s assessment of 200,000 corporate employees found 58.5% of workers under 35 had at least one cardiovascular risk marker.
Among employees under 35 with a normal BMI, 60% had another flagged marker, particularly involving cholesterol.
Blood-sugar risk rose 4.3 percentage points overall since 2023, while cholesterol and blood-pressure risks eased.
Gen Z workers saw low-HDL flags rise 7.4 points and blood-sugar flags rise 1.3 points, while Millennials improved across all measured markers.
Repeat testing found improvement in 43% of employees, compared with declines in 19.8%, supporting continued monitoring and follow-up care.
- Who
- ekincare assessed 200,000 corporate employees; the report included comments from CEO and Co-founder Kiran Kalakuntla and Chief Business Officer and Co-founder Dr Noel Coutinho.
- What
- The Young Workforce Heart Health Report 2026 found cardiovascular risk markers among many young employees and identified blood sugar as a growing concern.
- When
- The report compares findings with data from 2023 and notes a sharp rise in blood-sugar risk in 2024.
- Where
- India’s corporate sector, including employees using healthcare providers in metro and non-metro locations.
- Why
- The report says young age and normal BMI do not fully indicate heart health and points to the need for earlier, broader screening and follow-up.
BMI-Focused Wellness Checks
Comprehensive Risk Monitoring
How health should be assessed
BMI-Focused Wellness Checks
Traditional workplace checks have emphasized visible measures such as height, weight, and BMI.
Comprehensive Risk Monitoring
ekincare argues that assessment should also include lipid profiles, HbA1c or fasting glucose, blood pressure, sleep, stress, activity, smoking, and alcohol use.
Meaning of normal weight
BMI-Focused Wellness Checks
A normal BMI can appear to indicate that a young employee is not at elevated health risk.
Comprehensive Risk Monitoring
The report found that normal-BMI employees can still have cholesterol and other flagged markers, so BMI alone can miss risk.
Corporate follow-up
BMI-Focused Wellness Checks
A health assessment may be treated mainly as a measurement or report given to employees.
Comprehensive Risk Monitoring
The report recommends doctor consultations, structured lifestyle plans, repeat testing, and continued monitoring.
- Assessment sample
- Health check-up data from 2 lakh, or 200,000, corporate employees
- Under-35 risk
- 58.5% had at least one cardiovascular risk marker
- Normal-BMI finding
- 60% of under-35 employees with normal BMI had another flagged marker
- Blood-sugar trend
- Overall blood-sugar risk increased by 4.3 percentage points since 2023
- Gen Z changes
- Low-HDL flags rose 7.4 points and blood-sugar flags rose 1.3 points
- Gender difference
- 67.6% of young men and 53.2% of young women were flagged
- Repeat-check results
- 43% improved, while 19.8% experienced declines in their markers
