Khaberni - A recent scientific study revealed that the shape of the buttocks could be an indicator of the risk of type 2 diabetes, known as "the silent killer," due to its often symptomless development in the early stages.
The study, conducted by researchers from Westminster University in the UK, reported that changes in the shape of the major gluteal muscle (Gluteus Maximus) might reflect differences in metabolism, which could indicate a likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the British newspaper "The Sun".
The researchers based their study on analyzing health data extracted from about 61,300 magnetic resonance imaging scans stored in the UK Biobank database, where they found clear differences between men and women in the shape of the gluteal muscle among those with diabetes.
The results showed that: men with diabetes suffer from shrinkage and contraction in the buttock muscles, while women showed an enlargement of this muscle, due to the infiltration of fat within the muscle tissues.
The researchers noted that these results support the idea that men and women have different biological responses to the same disease.
The research team confirmed that it is not about the size of the buttocks, but their shape, indicating that people with large buttocks should not automatically feel concerned, because the crucial factor is the change in structure and shape, not the apparent size.
The co-researcher in the study, Margola Thanagh from the Optimal Health Research Center at Westminster University, stated that the study used for the first time a three-dimensional mapping technique to pinpoint the exact locations of changes in muscle shape, and added, "Unlike previous studies that focused on muscle size or fat ratio, we accurately identified the locations of changes, which gave us a more detailed picture of the relationship between muscle shape and the likelihood of disease."
These results align with a previously proven medical idea that a person may not appear obese from the outside but may be at risk of chronic diseases due to invisible changes in the body structure.
In the same context, the study clarified that muscles play an important health role in regulating weight, stimulating metabolism, and supporting bone health.
The researchers indicate that type 2 diabetes occurs when the body fails to respond normally to insulin or when it does not produce enough of it, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of serious complications such as heart disease, kidney damage, and vision loss.
According to the statistics presented in the study, about 4.6 million people in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed with diabetes, and about 90% of them suffer from type 2.
Professor Louise Thomas, the lead researcher in the study, explained that the shape of the buttocks could act as an "early warning" for the disease even before its symptoms appear, noting that magnetic resonance imaging scans conducted for other reasons could also be used for a quick additional examination to notice these changes.
The study confirmed that diabetes is called a "silent disease" because it may develop for years without diagnosis, increasing the risk of severe complications such as stroke, nerve damage, kidney failure, and vision disorders that may lead to blindness.
Finally, the researchers called for people to pay attention to muscle health through a balanced diet and increased physical activity, emphasizing that recognizing the importance of muscle mass and preserving it could significantly reduce disease rates at the community level.
