Hip fractures, often a result of a fall, are the most serious type of osteoporotic fracture because they are accompanied by considerable pain, loss of muscle and bone strength, reduced mobility and independence with daily activities, and increased risk for future fractures and death. More than 200,000 American women every year experience hip fractures, and up to three-quarters of them never fully regain their ability to resume normal activities like walking, even after undergoing weeks of exercise rehabilitation.

Successfully treating type 2 diabetes may involve focusing on brain neurons, rather than simply concentrating on obesity or insulin resistance, according to a study published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.  

For several years, researchers have known that hyperactivity of a subset of neurons located in the hypothalamus, called AgRP neurons, is common in mice with diabetes. 

“These neurons are playing an outsized role in hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes,” said UW Medicine endocrinologist Dr. Michael Schwartz, corresponding author of the paper.