Prediabetes in a French overseas territory: Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Implications for type 2 diabetes prevention

• In Reunion Island, women are more often diagnosed with prediabetes than men. • Precariousness affected more than one third of diagnosed subjects with prediabetes. • Subjects diagnosed with prediabetes in primary care show high FINDRISC score. • Despite prediabetes diagnosis, diet and physical activity habits remain suboptimal. • Prediabetes diagnosis did not result in better lifestyle habits in Réunion. People with prediabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study evaluates clinical, sociodemographic characteristics, and Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) of individuals with prediabetes recruited in primary care by their general practitioner (GP) for PREDIABRUN study. PREDIABRUN, a prospective cohort study in primary care on Reunion Island, aimed to identify risk factors for developing T2D in 500 adults with prediabetes (18–70 years) between July 2019 and December 2022. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, health, and lifestyle data were collected. Participants were categorized as having known prediabetes if their GP was aware of glucose abnormalities before the study, otherwise as newly diagnosed. A total of 469 subjects were included, with a median age of 55 years; 58.4 % were women. Employment was more common among men (53.3 %) than women (36.1 %). Precariousness affected 35.4 % overall, with higher rates in women (41.6 %) than men (26.7 %, p < 0.001). The major associated health issues were obesity (40.1 %), musculoskeletal disorders (50.5 %), hypertension (46.3 %) and cardiovascular diseases (11.5 %). The median FINDRISC score was 16 [IQR: 12–19], higher in women (17 [14–20]) than men (15 [11–17], p < 0.001). For more than half the population (55.0 %), prediabetes status was already known. However, lifestyle habits were similar for those with newly diagnosed prediabetes and those with prediabetes already known. Screened population in primary care on Reunion Island is relatively young, with a high FINDRISC score and numerous medical conditions. Tailored intervention to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity could help prevent diabetes in this high-risk group.