# Diabetes Risk Calculator (San Antonio Heart Study)

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/health/risk-dm/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The diabetes risk calculator estimates your probability of developing type 2 diabetes over about 7.5 years from age, sex, ethnicity, family history, BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose and HDL cholesterol, using the San Antonio Heart Study model.

## Inputs

- Sex
- Age (years)
- Ethnicity
- Parent or sibling with diabetes
- Weight (kg, lb, st, g)
- Height (cm, in, m, ft, mm)
- Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
- Fasting glucose (mg/dL, mmol/L)
- HDL cholesterol (mg/dL, mmol/L)

## Results

- BMI
- 7.5-year risk of type 2 diabetes

## Formula

```
Risk = 1 ÷ (1 + e^−x)
x = −13.415 + 0.028·age + 0.661·sex(F = 1) + 0.412·Hispanic + 0.079·fasting glucose (mg/dL) + 0.018·systolic BP − 0.039·HDL (mg/dL) + 0.07·BMI + 0.481·family history
```

## Explanation

The model was developed in more than 2,900 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white adults in San Antonio, Texas, and predicted diabetes as well as an oral glucose tolerance test. Knowing your risk early helps: weight loss and activity reduce progression to diabetes by more than half in high-risk people.

### How to use the Diabetes Risk Calculator

- **Sex**
- **Age**
- **Ethnicity**
- **Parent or sibling with diabetes**
- **Weight**
- **Height**
- **Systolic blood pressure**
- **Fasting glucose**
- **HDL cholesterol**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter your details and recent lab results. The calculator combines them in the published logistic regression and converts the result into a percentage risk.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterSexChoose one: Male, FemaleAgeIn yearsEthnicityChoose one: Non-Hispanic white, Mexican-American / HispanicParent or sibling with diabetesChoose one: No, YesWeightUnits: kg, lb, st, gHeightUnits: cm, in, m, ft, mmSystolic blood pressureIn mmHgFasting glucoseUnits: mg/dL, mmol/LHDL cholesterolUnits: mg/dL, mmol/L

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Age** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Age (years)7.5-year risk of type 2 diabetes (%)252037.526.25033.562.541.77550.4
*Health note: this calculator is for education and screening only and is not a diagnosis or treatment advice. Discuss your results with a qualified clinician.*

## Worked example

Inputs — Sex: Female; Age: 50 years; Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic white; Parent or sibling with diabetes: No; Weight: 85 kg; Height: 165 cm; Systolic blood pressure: 130 mmHg; Fasting glucose: 100 mg/dL; HDL cholesterol: 45 mg/dL.

Results — BMI = 31.2; **7.5-year risk of type 2 diabetes = 33.5 %**.

## Key terms

- **Logistic regression**: A model that converts a weighted sum of risk factors into a probability.

## FAQ

**Can I lower my risk?**
Yes – losing 5–7% of body weight and 150 minutes of activity a week cut diabetes risk by 58% in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

**Who should be screened for diabetes?**
The ADA recommends testing all adults from age 35, and earlier with overweight plus another risk factor.

**Does the model apply to other ethnic groups?**
It was developed in Mexican-American and white adults; risk may be underestimated in Asian, Black and Indigenous people.


## Sources

- [Stern MP et al. Identification of persons at high risk for type 2 diabetes: do we need the oral glucose tolerance test? Ann Intern Med, 2002](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12204024/)
- [American Diabetes Association – Standards of Care in Diabetes](https://diabetesjournals.org/care/issue/48/Supplement_1)