The causes of prediabetes overlap with those of type 2 diabetes, as the physiological defects that underlie the latter — insulin resistance and loss of pancreatic beta-cell (cells that produce and secrete insulin) function — are also present in prediabetes,[1][2] albeit to a lesser extent than in type 2 diabetes.
The causes of prediabetes are multifactorial and are influenced by genetic predisposition and environment. However, excess energy intake and sedentary behavior, leading to the accumulation of more visceral fat than the individual can tolerate, are primarily responsible for the hyperglycemia that defines prediabetes.[3]