How it is calculated
The calculator adds up the points for the 8 questions of the original Finnish FINDRISC:
- Age: under 45 = 0, 45–54 = 2, 55–64 = 3, over 64 = 4
- BMI (weight ÷ height² in metres): under 25 = 0, 25–30 = 1, over 30 = 3 (BMI is rounded to 1 decimal place before scoring)
- Waist: men under 94 cm = 0, 94–102 = 3, over 102 = 4; women under 80 cm = 0, 80–88 = 3, over 88 = 4
- Active at least 30 minutes a day: yes = 0, no = 2
- Vegetables, fruit or berries every day: yes = 0, no = 1
- Ever taken blood pressure medication regularly: no = 0, yes = 2
- Ever found to have high blood glucose: no = 0, yes = 5
- Family history of diabetes: none = 0; grandparent, aunt, uncle or first cousin = 3; parent, brother, sister or child = 5
The maximum score is 26. The 10-year risk levels from the official form:
- Under 7: low, about 1 in 100
- 7–11: slightly elevated, about 1 in 25
- 12–14: moderate, about 1 in 6
- 15–20: high, about 1 in 3
- Over 20: very high, about 1 in 2
Worked example
A 50-year-old man, 170 cm, 78 kg (BMI 27.0), waist 98 cm, not active every day, not eating vegetables or fruit every day, no blood pressure medication, never had high blood glucose, a grandparent with diabetes:
- Age 2 + BMI 1 + waist 3 + activity 2 + vegetables 1 + medication 0 + glucose 0 + family 3 = 12
- Risk level: moderate, about 1 in 6 (17%) over 10 years
Why your number may differ
The risk percentages come from a Finnish population and may differ for Malaysians. Malaysian guidelines use lower waist cut-offs (90 cm for men, 80 cm for women) and lower BMI cut-offs, but this calculator uses the original Finnish scoring because the risk percentages were only published for that version. In a Malaysian study, a score of 11 or more was the best cut-off for finding undiagnosed diabetes. This is a screening tool only, not a diagnosis and not medical advice. If your score is high, see a doctor for a blood test.