Preventing diabetes and pre-diabetes
Note: This page was written using AI as a supportive tool, all clinical content has been fact checked by a clinical professional.
You don’t need to wait for a test result to start reducing your risk of diabetes. Anyone can take steps to protect their health at any time.
Prevention can happen at any point
The NHS often uses blood tests to diagnose conditions, but there is a lot can you do now to start looking after your health. Healthy habits can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes long before blood glucose levels ever start to rise.
Small changes can make a big difference, such as eating well, moving more, stopping smoking, reducing alcohol, and keeping to a healthy weight.
What is pre-diabetes?
Sometimes a blood test shows that your blood glucose level is higher than usual, but not high enough to be called diabetes. This stage is often called prediabetes, and it means you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.
If you are told you have prediabetes, it’s a warning sign, but also an opportunity.
With the right support and changes to your lifestyle, many people can prevent or delay diabetes from developing.
You don’t have to wait to take action.
Whether you’ve been told you have prediabetes or not, the message is the same: You can act now to lower your risk.
Healthy habits help everyone, and starting early gives you the best chance of staying well in the long term.
Prediabetes means that you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. You may not experience any symptoms with pre-diabetes.
NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
We encourage everyone with pre-diabetes to attend the free NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP).
The programme gives people personalised support to help them achieve a healthy weight, improve their diet, and become more physically active. All together this reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
People who attend say they feel healthier and have more energy. With support from the programme, you too can take control of your health and make positive changes.
You can access the programme face to face, remotely or through an App, online, or on your phone. Ask your doctors’ surgery to refer you.
For more information visit the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) website
You can hear people’s experience of attending the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme in the videos below:
Listen to Mabel’s story
