Diabetes Risk Calculator

Assess your 10-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes using the validated FINDRISC scoring system and get personalised lifestyle recommendations.

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About you

Slightly elevated
8/26
FINDRISC score
10-year risk ~4%
Score breakdown
+2
Age
45–54
+1
BMI
BMI 25–30
+3
Waist circumference
Waist 94–102 cm (elevated risk)
+2
Physical activity
Not regularly physically active
+0
Vegetables / fruit
Eats vegetables or fruit daily
+0
Blood pressure medication
Not on blood pressure medication
+0
High blood glucose history
No history of high blood glucose
+0
Family history
No family history of diabetes
Lifestyle recommendations
  • ·Even a 5–10% reduction in body weight significantly reduces diabetes risk — focus on sustainable dietary changes rather than crash diets
  • ·Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (e.g. brisk walking); breaking up prolonged sitting also helps
  • ·Reducing abdominal (waist) fat is particularly important for reducing metabolic risk — dietary changes and aerobic exercise are most effective

This tool uses a validated screening score (FINDRISC) to estimate population-level risk. It cannot diagnose diabetes. Only a blood test (HbA1c or fasting glucose) can confirm or exclude diabetes. Discuss your result with a healthcare professional.

Also in Diabetes

Health — Diabetes

Diabetes Risk Calculator

Type 2 diabetes affects over 4.4 million people in the UK and is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, amputation, and kidney failure. Identifying risk early — before diagnosis — creates a window for intervention. This calculator uses the FINDRISC (Finnish Diabetes Risk Score) to estimate your 10-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes based on validated lifestyle and clinical risk factors.

The FINDRISC scoring system

FINDRISC was developed by Lindström and Tuomilehto in 2003 as a simple, validated self-administered screening questionnaire for type 2 diabetes risk. In the original Finnish validation cohort, a score ≥15 had a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 81% for identifying undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, and predicted new-onset type 2 diabetes over 10 years with good discrimination. It has since been validated in multiple European populations.

The eight FINDRISC domains are: age, BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, vegetable/fruit intake, blood pressure medication, previous high blood glucose, and family history. Of these, previous high blood glucose (impaired fasting glucose or gestational diabetes) and family history carry the highest point values, reflecting their well-established predictive power.

NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

People identified as high-risk for type 2 diabetes may be eligible for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP), a free nine-month intensive lifestyle intervention involving group sessions focused on diet, physical activity, and behaviour change. Evidence shows the DPP can reduce type 2 diabetes onset by 26–35% in high-risk individuals. Referrals are made by GPs following blood glucose or HbA1c testing.

Frequently asked questions

Can this tool diagnose diabetes?

No. FINDRISC is a risk screening tool, not a diagnostic test. Only a blood test — HbA1c or fasting plasma glucose — can confirm or exclude diabetes. A high FINDRISC score is an indication to seek a blood test, not a diagnosis.

What is impaired fasting glucose (IFG)?

IFG (also called pre-diabetes) is defined as a fasting plasma glucose of 6.1–6.9 mmol/L, or HbA1c of 42–47 mmol/mol (6.0–6.4%). It does not cause symptoms but significantly increases risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes at this stage can delay or prevent diabetes onset.

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