Overview
- Researchers report in Cell Metabolism that under hypoxia, red blood cells become a major glucose sink, helping clarify why diabetes rates are lower at high altitude.
- In mice, low oxygen increased red blood cell numbers and GLUT1 transporters, channeling glucose into 2,3‑DPG that enhances oxygen release to tissues.
- Epidemiological data cited show people living around 1,500 meters in the U.S. have roughly a 12% lower diabetes prevalence than those below 500 meters.
- The team’s small molecule HypoxyStat raises hemoglobin’s oxygen affinity to mimic hypoxia and fully reversed high blood sugar in diabetic mouse models, outperforming existing drugs in those experiments.
- Benefits from chronic hypoxia on glucose control persisted for weeks to months after return to normal oxygen in mice, with translation to humans still at an early preclinical stage.