For many years, doctors believed that high blood sugar was the main reason people with type 2 diabetes developed serious health problems.
Because of this, most treatments have focused on lowering blood glucose levels. People with diabetes are often advised to eat less sugar, exercise regularly, and take medicines that help control blood sugar.
These steps are still very important, but new research suggests they may not tell the whole story.
A new study from the University of Kentucky has discovered that another process inside the body may play an even bigger role in causing harmful inflammation.
The research was led by Dr. Barbara Nikolajczyk and was published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism.
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term disease that affects the way the body uses insulin, a hormone that helps move sugar from the blood into cells for energy.
When insulin does not work properly, sugar builds up in the bloodstream.
Over time, this can damage blood vessels and organs. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people live with type 2 diabetes, making it one of the most common chronic diseases.
One of the biggest problems in type 2 diabetes is ongoing inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. It helps the body heal.
However, when inflammation continues for months or years, it begins to damage healthy tissues instead of protecting them. Long-lasting inflammation is linked to heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, eye disease, and many other diabetes complications.
Scientists have long believed that high blood sugar was the main trigger for this inflammation. The new study suggests that the real cause is more complicated.
The researchers carefully examined immune cells taken from people with type 2 diabetes. They wanted to understand how these cells produce energy and why they remain in an inflammatory state.
Inside almost every cell are tiny structures called mitochondria. They are often described as the cell’s power plants because they turn nutrients from food into energy that keeps cells working properly. Healthy mitochondria are essential for every organ in the body.
The research team found that many immune cells had unhealthy mitochondria. Instead of using glucose as their main source of energy, these cells relied more heavily on substances produced when fats were broken down. These fat-related molecules appeared to keep the immune cells switched on, creating ongoing inflammation.
This finding changes the traditional view of type 2 diabetes. It suggests that even when blood sugar is well controlled, inflammation may continue if mitochondrial function remains poor or harmful fat by-products continue to build up.
This may explain why some people still develop serious complications despite having blood sugar levels that are close to their treatment goals. Problems affecting the heart, kidneys, nerves, and other organs may continue because inflammation has not been fully stopped.
The discovery also opens exciting possibilities for future treatments. Scientists may be able to develop medicines that improve mitochondrial health or reduce the harmful fat-related molecules that keep inflammation active.
Lifestyle changes that support healthy mitochondria, such as regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein, may also become an even more important part of diabetes care.
More research is needed before new treatments become available, but these findings give scientists a promising new direction.
The researchers stress that people with type 2 diabetes should continue taking their prescribed medicines and following their doctor’s advice. Good blood sugar control remains essential. However, this study shows that controlling glucose may be only one part of protecting long-term health.
The study is an important reminder that science continues to improve our understanding of disease.
As researchers learn more about how mitochondria, fats, and the immune system interact, they may find better ways to prevent the inflammation that causes so many diabetes complications. This could eventually lead to more effective treatments and a better quality of life for millions of people living with type 2 diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about a cure for type 2 diabetes, and these vegetables could protect against kidney damage in diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about bone drug that could lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing eating more eggs linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
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