Volume 14 Issue 10, October 2018

Viral infections induce muscle insulin resistance in mice through the stimulation of IFNγ. This results in increased insulin levels, which promote antiviral CD8⁺ T cell activation. In obese mice, insulin resistance triggered by IFNγ also leads to deterioration of glycaemic control. These findings highlight the intricate link between the immune system and metabolic regulation.

Body composition and fitness have important roles in predicting prognosis in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, in patients with established cardiovascular diseases, body composition and fitness impact partly explain the ‘obesity paradox’.

Given the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity among young women and the subsequent high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus, metformin treatment during pregnancy is increasing worldwide. A new study reports that metformin exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy does not increase the risk of congenital anomalies.

Current recommendations for diagnosing diabetes mellitus require confirmation of an abnormal fasting plasma glucose level or elevated HbA_1c level, with repeated testing. Elizabeth Selvin and colleagues have examined the effectiveness of measuring plasma levels of glucose and HbA_1c simultaneously for diagnosing diabetes mellitus and conclude that the confirmed combination is acceptable.

Obesity is a major health issue in the developed and developing world, and is in part due to excess dietary energy intake. A new study showed that increased fat content alone was associated with increased energy intake and adiposity, suggesting that the availability of high-fat foods might be driving the development of overweight or obesity.

Many mechanistic processes during ageing and age-related diseases cause inflammation. In this Review, the authors discuss the relationship between the immune and metabolic systems during ageing and age-related diseases and the potential use of new biomarkers capable of distinguishing between biological and chronological age in metabolic diseases.

Cognitive dysfunction is an important comorbidity of diabetes mellitus. In this Review, Geert Jan Biessels and Florin Despa discuss the different manifestations of diabetes-mellitus-associated cognitive dysfunction. They also review the role of experimental models in improving our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms.

The WNT signalling pathway has been identified as a potential target for the development of therapeutics for osteoporosis. This Review discusses the specificity and potential off-target actions of WNT-based therapeutics and describes the available preclinical and clinical studies.