AUSDRISK at age 18: why the new screening threshold is going to change Monday morning

The AUSDRISK tool — a 10-question diabetes risk calculator developed by the Australian Government and Baker IDI — was for years recommended from age 40. The 2024 update from Diabetes Australia brought that threshold down to age 18 for high-risk groups.

Who's in the new high-risk cohort

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from age 18.
• People of South Asian background (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan) from age 18.
• People of Pacific Islander background from age 18.
• Anyone with a first-degree relative diagnosed before age 30.
• Women with a history of gestational diabetes, regardless of age.

Why the change matters clinically

T2DM diagnoses under 35 have roughly doubled in Australia over the past decade (AIHW). The disease behaves more aggressively in younger-onset patients — faster beta-cell decline, earlier complications, longer exposure window. Catching it pre-diabetic at 22 is a fundamentally different intervention than catching it diabetic at 38.

How to introduce it in a 19-year-old's consult

The blocker isn't medical — it's social. A 19-year-old presenting with acne or contraception doesn't expect a diabetes conversation. The framing that works in our clinic: 'There's a 90-second risk check we do for everyone in your age group these days. Want to do it now or take it home on the app?'

Most pick the app. They complete it in 2 minutes. We see the result before the next visit.