Muscle and serum myostatin expression in type 1 diabetes

Changes to the health of skeletal muscle would have profound effects on glycemic control, however, our knowledge of changes to muscle health during T1D is currently limited. Myostatin is a protein that regulates muscle growth, and which is believed to play a role in skeletal muscle function and metabolic health. This study looked at myostatin in men and women with T1D and those who did not have the condition to see if there was elevated myostatin in those with T1D and to see if myostatin would affect clinical metrics like A1C levels, strength and body mass. The study found that while those with T1D, in particular females, had elevated serum myostatin levels, it was not corelated to clinically-relevant metrics such as A1C, strength or body mass. This is the first time this increase in myostatin in those with has been observed and future studies will be needed to fully understand the potential importance this could have, in particular around insulin dosing.