Although empirical studies have long confirmed a link between obesity and diabetes, doctors have not been sure what exactly caused that detrimental relationship.
Now, researchers may have an answer. A study conducted at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia has demonstrated that fat tissue is a site of inflammatory cells that may be responsible for this effect.
“We have shown that insulin resistance in human obesity is closely related to the presence of inflammatory cells in fat tissue, in particular a population of macrophage cells,” said professor Len Harrison, one of the authors of the study.
Macrophages are white blood cells that are part of the bodys immune response to infections. The researchers further explain that they migrate to fat tissue in obese people and cause inflammation by releasing chemical compounds called cytokines. These compounds may cause cells to become insulin resistant, leading to diabetes.
The discovery may open the way to new therapeutic options for individuals who suffer from diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 23 million people in the U.S. are affected by this chronic and currently incurable condition.
The studys results were detailed in the journal Diabetes.