Why do type 2 diabetics sometimes become thin if their condition is not managed properly?

Why do type 2 diabetics sometimes become thin if their condition is not managed properly?

Earlier we used to get this answer to the Q : Type 2 diabetics may experience weight loss and become thin due to a combination of factors related to their body's inability to properly use insulin and the subsequent breakdown of fat and muscle for energy. Insulin resistance, a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, prevents glucose from entering cells, causing it to accumulate in the bloodstream. The body then resorts to burning fat and muscle for fuel, leading to weight loss.

But we have a new answer now.

Listen to this detailed one:

Newly discovered molecule may explain reduced muscle mass in type 2 diabetes

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown molecule that may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and muscle loss—a condition that has a major impact on quality of life and overall health.

In the new study, published in Science Advances, researchers have identified a previously unknown molecule, TMEM9B-AS1, which may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass. The molecule is a long non-coding RNA that plays an important role in regulating cellular functions.

The researchers discovered that TMEM9B-AS1 is significantly reduced in skeletal muscles in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and its absence disrupts the machinery needed to build new muscle proteins.

The study shows that TMEM9B-AS1 supports the stability of MYC, a key gene that drives the production of ribosomes—the factories that manufacture proteins. Without this RNA molecule, MYC becomes unstable, and muscle cells lose their ability to maintain normal protein production. This may help explain the muscle deterioration we often see in people with metabolic diseases.

Aren’t you more informed now?

Ilke Sen et al, Down-regulation of human-specific lncRNA TMEM9B-AS1 in skeletal muscle of people with type 2 diabetes affects ribosomal biogenesis, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads4371