Here's how diabetes causes muscle loss

According to a new study published in the online edition of JCI Insight, elevated blood sugar levels leads to muscle atrophy and two protein, WWP1 and KLF15, play key roles in this phenomenon. Notably, diabetes mellitus is associated with various health problems including decline in skeletal muscle mass.The research was led by Professor Wataru Ogawa at the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.Muscle mass decline associated with ageing impairs our physical activity, making us susceptible to a variety of health problems and thus leading to shortened lifespans.Age-dependent muscle mass decline and the consequent impairment of physical activity is known as "sarcopenia", a serious health burden in aging societies.Professor Ogawa's research team made the surprising discovery that a rise in blood sugar levels triggers the decline in muscle mass, and uncovered the important roles of two proteins in this phenomenon.They found that the abundance of transcription factor KLF15 increased in