World Diabetes Day 2026: Early Action Starts With a Simple Blood Test

14 November is World Diabetes Day, and this year it opens a new two-year campaign of the International Diabetes Federation: "Early action on diabetes". The message is simple: type 2 diabetes develops quietly over years, and finding it early makes a lasting difference.

Why early matters

According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas (2025), 589 million adults worldwide, about one in nine, live with diabetes, and around 252 million of them do not know it. High blood sugar damages blood vessels and nerves long before any symptoms appear, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss and foot problems.

The good news is that the earlier stage, prediabetes, can often be reversed. In the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program, people with prediabetes who lost about 7% of their weight and were active for 150 minutes a week cut their risk of developing diabetes by 58%.

Who should get tested

• Every adult aged 35 and over, then at least every three years if the result is normal.
• Younger adults with excess weight and at least one more risk factor: diabetes in a parent, brother or sister, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, little physical activity, or polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Women who had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes): testing should continue for life, at least every three years.
• Anyone with symptoms: strong thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, tiredness, blurred vision or wounds that heal slowly.

Understanding your results

• Fasting blood glucose: normal below 5.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL); prediabetes 5.6–6.9 mmol/L (100–125 mg/dL); diabetes 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) or higher.
• HbA1c (average blood sugar over 2–3 months): normal below 5.7%; prediabetes 5.7–6.4%; diabetes 6.5% or higher.

These are the thresholds used by the American Diabetes Association. A diagnosis of diabetes is always confirmed with a repeat test, and your doctor will explain what your numbers mean for you.

Small steps that work

• Walk briskly for at least 30 minutes on most days.
• Swap sugary drinks for water, and white bread and pastries for whole grains, beans and vegetables.
• If you are overweight, losing even 5–7% of your weight makes a real difference.
• Sleep well, do not smoke, and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check.

At FMRC, our family doctors and endocrinologist can arrange the tests, explain the results and help you plan the next steps. Call 0 422 277 303 or book a visit online.

Sources: International Diabetes Federation, World Diabetes Day 2026–27 "Early action on diabetes"; IDF Diabetes Atlas, 11th edition (2025); American Diabetes Association Standards of Care; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, New England Journal of Medicine (2002).