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The prevalence of pre-diabetes

  

Pre-diabetes means that a person's blood sugars are higher than usual, but not high enough to be diagnosed with T2D. It also means that they are at an increased risk of developing T2D.2 The  accumulation of excessive body fat is linked to the development of pre-diabetes, and the global increase in obesity has led to an increased prevalence of T2D.1

 

  

A cohort study in Chinese adults found significant correlation between pre-diabetes and increased body mass index.5

  

Learn more about the importance of early intervention in obesity

  

Managing obesity can support the remission of T2D6

Weight loss can significantly reduce the complications of T2D, and in some cases can even lead to remission of diabetes.6,7 Over time, the benefits of losing weight can include a significantly reduced risk of T2D, even a decade after initial weight loss.8

 

The images shown are models and not real patients.

  

Excess weight directly impacts T2D9

Obesity is a significant driver in the development of T2D.7 Evidence suggests that both men and women living with obesity are 7-12 times more likely to develop T2D compared to those without, highlighting the importance of early intervention.10

 

 

Beyond diabetes, obesity is linked to a wide range of complications, including CVD, cancer, and more.14 Many of these risks can be reduced or even reversed with evidence-based medical intervention, offering patients a clearer path to better health.15

Addressing obesity early is essential to reduce the potential impact of obesity-related complications.16

  

Explore more obesity-related complications

  

Discover more about the interconnected nature of obesity, CVD, and T2D

  

Explore our healthcare professional and patient resources

  

 

HQ25OB00140 | Approved August 25

  

References

  1. Klein S, Gastaldelli A, Yki-Järvinen H, Scherer P. Why does obesity cause diabetes? Cell Metab. 2022;34(1):11-20.
  2. Diabetes UK. Prediabetes symptoms and risk reduction. Accessed June 2025. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/type-2-diabetes/prediabetes
  3. Rooney MR, Fang M, Ogurtsova K, et al. Global prevalence of prediabetes. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(7):1388-1394.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes: could it be you? Accessed June 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/images/library/socialmedia/prediabetescoulditbeyou_print.pdf
  5. Chai Y, Liu Y, Yang R, Kuang M, Qiu J, Zou Y. Association of body mass index with risk of prediabetes in Chinese adults: a population-based cohort study. J Diabetes Investig. 2023;13:1235-1244.
  6. Lean MEJ, Leslie WS, Barnes AC, et al. Durability of a primary care-led weight-management intervention for remission of type 2 diabetes: 2-year results of the DiRECT open-label cluster-randomised trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019;7:344-355.
  7. Chandrasekaran P, Weiskirchen R. The role of obesity in type 2 diabetes mellitus—an overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(3):1882.
  8. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, Knowler WC, et al. Ten-year follow-up of diabetes incidence and weight loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcome Study. Lancet. 2009;374(9702):1677-1686.
  9. Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al. Global burden of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: update from the GBD2019 study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;76(25):2982–3021.
  10. Guh DP, Zhang W, Bansback N, Amarsi Z, Birmingham CL, Anis AH. The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  11. Daousi C, Casson IF, Gill GV, MacFarlane IA, Wilding JPH, Pinkney JH. Prevalence of obesity in type 2 diabetes in secondary care: association with cardiovascular risk factors. Postgrad Med J.  2006;82(966):280-284.
  12. Einarson TR, Acs A, Ludwig C, Panton UH. Prevalence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes: a systematic literature review of scientific evidence from across the world in 2007-2017. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018;17(1):83.
  13. Low Wang CC, Hess CN, Hiatt WR, Goldfine AB. Clinical update: cardiovascular disease in diabetes mellitus: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure in type 2 diabetes – mechanisms, management, and clinical considerations. Circulation. 2016;133(24):2459-2502.
  14. GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators; Afshin A, Forouzanfar MH et al. Health effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(1):13-27.
  15. Blüher M. An overview of obesity-related complications: the epidemiological evidence linking body weight and other markers of obesity to adverse health outcomes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025;27(Suppl2):3-19.
  16. International Obesity Collaborative. 5 principles of obesity. Accessed July 2025. https://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/5PrinciplesOfObesity-IOC.pdf

  

 

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