Diabetes prevention

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

Around 90% of adults with diabetes in the UK have type 2 diabetes. While you cannot lower your risk of type 1 diabetes with lifestyle changes, you can reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Finding out your risk is the first step – it is important to know the risk factors and what support is available to help you make changes to reduce your risk.

Find out your risk of type 2 diabetes

The Diabetes UK 'Know Your Risk' tool makes it easy to check your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is free to use and only takes a few minutes to complete. You can see your results on-screen.

Check your type 2 diabetes risk

If you're at risk

If you find out that you are at moderate or high risk, don't forget to visit your GP surgery. They will help you plan your next steps, and you might need a blood test.

You could also be eligible for a free NHS Health Check, which will check for health conditions including type 2 diabetes.

Reducing your risk

If you've found out that you are at risk of developing diabetes, the good news is that you can take steps to reduce your risk. More than half of all cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by:

• Eating well
• Moving more
• Losing weight (if you’re overweight)

Richmond Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

The Healthier You programme can help you to take action. Those referred to the local service will receive tailored, personalised support, including education on:

• Healthy eating and lifestyle
• Being more active
• Losing weight

All of these things together have been proven to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Referral and more information 

If you have had a blood test confirming you are at high risk and would like to be referred to the service, please discuss this with your GP. Programmes are held in a range of community locations across Richmond.

Find out more about the Healthier You programme.

Spotting the signs

It is very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible to help manage your blood sugar levels and reduce the chances of serious complications.

People should visit their GP as soon as possible if they are experiencing any of the symptoms.

Further help

Further information, including risk factors, symptoms, prevention and advice for living with diabetes is available at:

• NHS - Diabetes
• Diabetes UK