1 in 3 Kerala adolescents pre-diabetic; South faces metabolic health crisis

Sumit Jha

Sep 29, 2025

Health

Health

Kerala records the highest pre-diabetic rates among Indian adolescents at 32.2 percent, affecting nearly one in three teenagers aged 10-19 years.

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The analysis reveals that Kerala’s pre-diabetic prevalence surpasses the national average of 10.4 percent by more than three times, marking the state as the worst performer nationally.

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 Tamil Nadu reports 9.2 percent pre-diabetic adolescents, while Telangana records 8.6 percent and Karnataka 7.1 percent. Andhra Pradesh shows the lowest regional rate at 4.0 percent.

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Pre-diabetes occurs when fasting plasma glucose levels exceed 100 milligrams per deciliter but remain below 126 mg/dl.

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This condition signals impaired glucose tolerance and represents a critical warning stage before type 2 diabetes development.