Family history of diabetes? Start here.

If a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes, your risk is significantly higher — but risk is not destiny. Indians develop diabetes roughly a decade earlier than Western populations, often at lower body weights, so early attention pays off.

Step one is screening. If you are over 30 — or younger with a strong family history, excess weight, or a history of gestational diabetes — get an HbA1c and fasting glucose checked. Repeat yearly if normal, more often if not.

Step two is understanding prediabetes. An HbA1c between 5.7% and 6.4% is a warning zone, not a diagnosis. Large studies show that structured lifestyle change at this stage cuts progression to diabetes by more than half — better than any single medicine.

What works? Losing 5–7% of body weight if you carry extra, 150 minutes of weekly activity, more fibre and protein at each meal, better sleep, and managing stress. None of this is glamorous, but it is remarkably powerful.

Step three: know when medication enters the picture. For some people with prediabetes — especially those who are young, have a very strong family history, or whose numbers keep rising despite lifestyle change — medicines like metformin may be appropriate. That is an individual decision we make together.

Think of a family history as advance notice, not a sentence. The earlier you act, the more options you have.