Obesity is the main culprit behind type 2 diabetes, scientists say
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly in the U.S., which is why so many people buy Actos to improve their blood sugar control.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly in the U.S., which is why so many people buy Actos to improve their blood sugar control. One of the biggest risk factors for this metabolic disorder is obesity, which may negatively impact protein levels in the livers of overweight people, according to a report from scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Lead author Mary-Elizabeth Patti and her colleagues published their findings in the journal Cell Metabolism. They explained that obese individuals tend to have decreased levels of proteins involved in the regulation of RNA splicing. In the human body, pieces of RNA can be split up in different ways, creating proteins that have different functions.
"In the case of these proteins whose production drops in the livers of obese people, this process changes the function of other proteins that can cause excess fat to be made in the liver," Patti explained. "That excess fat is known to be a major contributor to insulin resistance."
She added that the study provides insight into how carrying excessive weight can trigger the development of resistance to insulin, thereby increasing an individual's likelihood of having type 2 diabetes.
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