A Fifth Of India's Female Workforce Face PCOS, Over A Third Anemic, Finds Study

The India Workforce Health Index 2025, released by Loop Health, reveals a silent health crisis creeping into the nation's working professionals, with significant chronic conditions and lifestyle-related ailments.

The index highlights a silent issue of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, anemia, and cardiovascular risks, while also exposing a striking gender gap.

The findings are particularly alarming for women in the workforce. According to the report, about 20.7% of professional women, nearly double the general population rate of 11%, are affected by PCOS. This condition that can have serious implications for fertility and metabolic health.

Adding to this, the report notes a dramatic gender disparity in iron deficiency, with 37.1% of women being anemic compared to just 8.2% of men, marking a 4.5 times gap.

These numbers suggest that women, who also operate in a chronic high-stress mode at a higher rate 41.2%, compared to 33.9% overall are shouldering a disproportionate health burden.

The report also identifies widespread lifestyle-related issues across the board. In Mumbai, 84.3% of women have dangerously low levels of protective cholesterol, a key marker for heart disease risk.

This is part of a broader trend, as nearly half of all working professionals or about 47.7% are operating with cardiovascular risk markers.

Stress appears to be a major contributing factor, with sales teams reporting 28.4% nicotine usage and customer support staff showing 25.7% or the highest indicators of workplace pressure.

The index points to significant regional health disparities, as Delhi NCR registers the highest rate of liver dysfunction among all metropolitan areas.

Delhi stands at 34.8%, while Bangalore suffers from widespread Vitamin D or 84% deficiency and B12 deficiency coming up to 41.8%. The latter is particularly concerning given that the city's residents show a 52.1% awareness of supplements, indicating a gap between knowledge and action.

Further, the report also noted that despite the widespread health awareness campaigns, only 11.8% of the workforce uses whey protein, highlighting a general reluctance to adopt preventive health measures.