Canadian researchers believe focusing on improving the muscle strength of type 1 diabetics could produce better health outcomes. Muscle deterioration is a serious consequence for those who have the disease, and one that is often overlooked by doctors and patients.
The decline of the skeletal muscle, the body’s largest insulin-sensitive organ, can negatively impact the regulation of blood sugar and insulin response.
By reducing a naturally secreted hormone, myostatin, that impedes muscle growth, blood sugar levels were significantly reduced even without insulin and simultaneously ensured that muscles remained more insulin sensitive.
Associate professor of pathology and molecular medicine at the Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, Professor Thomas Hawke said: “Through research with both mice and humans, we’ve shown that type 1 diabetes negatively impacts muscle, and by improving muscle health we can reduce blood sugar levels and improve the response to insulin.”
When insulin resistance develops in type 1 diabetes it can contribute to kidney failure and cardiovascular disease. But the research team from McMaster University believe that identifying the loss of muscle cells early on could help prevent future deterioration .
Their findings indicate that by reducing a naturally secreted hormone, myostatin, that impedes muscle growth, blood sugar levels were significantly reduced even without insulin and simultaneously ensured that muscles remained more insulin sensitive.
Professor Hawke added: “Our findings provide solid evidence that type 1 diabetes negatively affects muscle and that correcting these changes would improve our physical abilities and our whole body metabolism, ultimately increasing the healthy lifespan of those suffering from this chronic disease.” He also emphasised the importance of exercise to combat muscle deterioration and noted that several pharmaceutical companies are still trialling new inhibitor drugs which appear to be “highly effective” in reducing myostatin.
Type 1 diabetics can prevent or minimize muscle loss by achieving sound control over blood glucose levels.
