Clinical Metabolomics studies in diagnosing Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Unveiling Trends through Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract Background Prediabetes is the transitional stage preceding the onset of type 2 diabetes. Due to its asymptomatic nature and slow progression, conventional screening methods frequently fail to identify individuals in this prediabetic stage. Therefore, this study employs bibliometric methods to reveal the abnormal changes in clinically relevant metabolites in diabetes, providing evidence for early diagnosis, pathogenesis, and precision interventions. Methods Search the Web of Science Core Collection database for all papers on metabolomics related to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes clinical research from the database’s inception until May 2025. Use VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to perform bibliometric analysis on the included literature. Results A total of 1,742 studies were ultimately included in the review of the literature. Researchers from China, the United States, and Germany, as well as institutions, have made significant contributions to metabolomics research in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The highest number of publications and citations was from the journals Metabolites and Diabetes. The current research hotspots in this field, as determined by keyword co-occurrence and clustering analysis, include metabolomics, insulin resistance, obesity, risk factors, biomarkers, gut microbiota, amino acids, lipidomics, and mass spectrometry. Conclusion The outcomes of the study are instrumental in enabling scholars to comprehend the developmental trajectory of metabolites associated with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and facilitate the rapid identification of emerging research pathways.