Abstract
Prediabetes and diabetes are important metabolic public health problems, especially among adolescents, which are being given little or no attention, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Prediabetes increases the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases. Despite being a high-risk state for developing diabetes, the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes are not uniform across various international professional organizations. Significant differences in prevalence can depend on the definition of prediabetes as Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) and/or Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT). Different studies have shown that prediabetes and its interactions with factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, environmental factors, genetics, and lifestyles do play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes. Prediabetes is a preclinical stage of DM and can be reversed with some lifestyle modifications. Therefore, there is a need to be informed about it such that active surveillance can be instituted to recognize it early and prevent its progression to T2DM and disease-associated health burden in adult life.