India, Feb. 19 -- India is witnessing a sharp rise in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease, often striking people at younger ages than ever before. But long before these conditions are formally diagnosed, the body tends to send subtle, easily ignored warning signs - a gradually expanding waistline, slightly elevated blood sugar, borderline cholesterol or rising blood pressure. Doctors refer to this silent cluster of changes as metabolic syndrome, a quiet but critical stage that signals deeper metabolic imbalance.

Identifying it early, experts say, can mean the difference between preventing chronic illness and managing it for years to come. HT Lifestyle reached out to Dr Pankaj Sharma - the director of the depart...