Health · Free tool
Indian Diabetes Risk Score
The IDRS by Madras Diabetes Research Foundation is a 4-question screen that flags high diabetes risk in Indians. Score ≥60 → high risk, get HbA1c tested.
- < 30 — Low risk. Routine screening.
- 30 to 59 — Moderate risk. Get HbA1c every 2 years.
- ≥ 60 — High risk. Get HbA1c done now.
What IDRS measures
Developed at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (Mohan et al., 2005) and validated on 26,000+ South Indian adults, the IDRS uses four non-invasive markers — age, waist circumference, physical activity and family history — to flag undiagnosed type-2 diabetes. Sensitivity ~72%, specificity ~60% at cut-off 60. It's the standard ICMR screening tool for community camps.
Worked example
A 42-year-old (20 pts) software professional in Bengaluru with waist 96 cm (20 pts), sedentary work and no exercise (30 pts), one diabetic parent (10 pts) scores 80 — high risk. 1-in-3 chance of HbA1c ≥ 6.5% on testing. Drop to moderate (30–50) by losing 5 kg (waist < 80 cm = 0 pts) and adding 30 min brisk walking (activity 0 pts) — score falls to 30.
Score bands
- < 30 — low risk, re-screen every 3 years
- 30–50 — moderate; annual screen, lifestyle changes
- ≥ 60 — high; immediate HbA1c + fasting glucose, possibly OGTT
Indians develop type-2 diabetes a decade earlier than Europeans, often at lower BMI — start screening from age 30 instead of 45. Track diet with the glycemic load calculator and convert lab reports with the HbA1c to eAG converter.
FAQ
Is IDRS more accurate than just an HbA1c test?
No — HbA1c is the gold-standard for current diabetes status. IDRS is a *screen* that flags whether you should get HbA1c done. Score ≥60 means high risk and HbA1c is recommended; score <30 means routine 5-year screening is enough.
Can I lower my IDRS score?
Three of four factors are modifiable: waist (lose visceral fat), activity (move from sedentary → moderate), and family history is fixed. Even a 10cm waist drop and a daily walk reduces score by 30 points — moving you from high to low.
Should kids do IDRS?
No — IDRS is validated only for adults. Pediatric diabetes screening uses different criteria (BMI percentile, family history, signs of insulin resistance like acanthosis nigricans).