Type 2 Diabetes change behavior of spinal cord discs

Type 2 diabetes changes the behavior of discs in the vertebral column resulting in stiffer discs which change their shape earlier than normal. This was one of the findings of a new study with rodents by a team of doctors and engineers from colleges in California and Utah.

People with Type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of low back pain and disc-related issues. Low back pain is a major cause of disability but the process behind degeneration is not clearly understood.

The research team was co-led by Claire Acevedo, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California San Diego and Aaron Fields, a faculty member from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at University of California San Francisco.