Research

Hormonal

Chronic hyperglycemia, indicated by elevated HbA1c levels, is associated with persistently lower muscle strength and muscle quality in aging adults, independent of muscle mass loss.

If you have elevated blood sugar levels (even if not yet diagnosed as diabetes), prioritize glycemic control not just for organ health, but to preserve muscle strength. This study suggests that high blood sugar directly harms muscle function, independent of how much muscle you have. Focus on managing blood glucose through diet and lifestyle to maintain mobility and reduce disability risk as you age.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Hyperglycemia is associated with persistently lower muscle strength with aging, but this effect may be mediated, at least in part, by peripheral neuropathy.
Rita R. Kalyani et al. · Diabetes Care · 2014

Why this rating

Longitudinal observational study with large sample size (n=984) and long follow-up, but observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Hyperglycemia Predicts Persistently Lower Muscle Strength With Aging

Rita R. Kalyani et al. · Diabetes Care · 2014

DOI 10.2337/dc14-1166

cohort · n=984Cited 236×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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