Scientists have revealed that high muscle strength could significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The research, published in BMC Medicine, found that individuals with greater muscle strength had over 40 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of their genetic susceptibility to the condition.
The large-scale epidemiological study, from the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health, explored the potential health benefits of muscle strength in preventing this common metabolic disorder across varying levels of genetic risk.
Findings highlighted the importance of maintaining or improving muscle strength as a key strategy for diabetes prevention.
Muscle strength was assessed through grip strength measurements
GETTYThe study utilised data from 141,848 white British individuals without baseline type 2 diabetes from the UK Biobank, an ongoing prospective cohort of over 500,000 UK adults.
Participants were followed for more than seven years, during which 4,743 new cases of type 2 diabetes were identified.
Muscle strength was assessed through grip strength measurements. The genetic risk of type 2 diabetes was estimated based on 138 known genetic variants associated with the condition.
The comprehensive dataset allowed researchers to examine the relationship between muscle strength and diabetes risk whilst accounting for genetic factors.
The findings indicated that compared with low muscle strength, individuals with high muscle strength had a 44 per cent lower relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This suggests muscle strength may play a role in modifying the impact of genetic risk on diabetes onset.
Notably, individuals at high genetic risk but with high muscle strength could have a lower absolute risk of diabetes than those at low or medium genetic risk with poor muscle strength.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders globally, affecting approximately 10 per cent of the world's population.
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Improving muscle strength may be a key strategy for diabetes prevention
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It is characterised by elevated blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion.
The condition is associated with an increased risk of various complications, including heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, so prevention represents a significant global public health concern.
The disease develops through an interplay between non-modifiable genetic traits and modifiable lifestyle factors.
Fortunately, the latest findings reinforce that muscle strength is an accessible prevention tool against the widespread condition.
