The study pointed out that lifestyle diseases, largely prevalent among the economically weaker sections, are under-diagnosed or under-reported.

"The economically backward people, living in places with poor medical and health facilities, fail to perceive and report the presence of illness, and also do not seek health care. So, the true prevalence of several diseases from the poor had been underestimated.

"Poor or delayed access to health care by poor further worsen their condition leading to premature death, disability and loss of income. Therefore, identification and early treatment of NCDs is important for effective development policy," Vellakkal added.

The doctors also say that lifestyle disease are inflicted on economically backward sections due to poverty.

"There is an urgent need to make people from poor background understand the risk factors of NCDs. We have not focused sufficiently on the extreme poor. The health ministry must start special screening, treatment programmes and overall assessment of NCDs among economically weaker sections," Ajay Goel, a diabetologist, added.

The study also indicated that rates of NCDs are projected to increase dramatically in India and other low-and-middle income countries over the next two decades. The study projected millions of deaths and huge loss of national income due to lost production and health care costs.

Researchers from PHFI, Imperial College London, Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted the study.

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