Arecent article, published in Medical News Today (and fact checked) 12/11/21 – highlighted a recent identification by scientists that type 2 diabetes can cause a form of vascular injury that was not recently known (source MedicalNewsToday.com).  The study which was published by the Diabetes journal (9^th Nov 2021) with the rather lengthy (in typical journal style) title of – Downregulation of Erythrocyte miR-210 Induces Endothelial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes – has shown there to be lower levels of microRNA-210 in red blood cells of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

So why is this important?  Type 2 diabetes comes with its own complications, of course, such as higher risk of cardiovascular disease and events (think heart attacks).  This isn’t new but the discovery found form the study could eventually lead to treatments that can help replenish the lack of microRNA-210 in blood cells which, in turn, could lead to better outcomes for those living with T2D as a decrease in vascular injuries could be possible (those linked to diabetes).

Red blood cells are, of course, an important part of the body’s functions.  In the simplest explanation (and please do see the NHS link below for more detail) they transport oxygen through a substance called haemoglobin.

So any impact on your red blood cells can, in turn, affect oxygen levels within your body. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/red-blood-count/ – the body uses nitric oxide to widen blood vessels and those with Type 2 diabetes have been found to have a reduced ability to produce nitric oxide, thus the possibility of contraction of arteries.  There are other areas of the body’s systems that can be further affected too.

That being said, the study found that microRNA-210 was less in those with T2D than those without diabetes and that if microRNA-210 could be replaced then there could, of course, be a positive affect on the persons endothelial dysfunction.

There is a lot more detail in the findings and  would suggest looking deeper into this yourself to gather more information, but the findings are an exciting step towards an effective treatment that can help to improve vascular functioning for those living with type 2 diabetes.