Study Data from Children's Hospital Philadelphia Provide New Insights into Friedreich Ataxia (Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Secretion In Adults With Friedreich's Ataxia: the Role of Skeletal Muscle).

A recent study conducted at Children's Hospital Philadelphia provides new insights into Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA), a multi-system disorder caused by frataxin deficiency. The study focused on the association between skeletal muscle health and insulin sensitivity and secretion in adults with FRDA without diabetes mellitus (DM). The results showed that individuals with FRDA had lower insulin sensitivity and higher post-prandial insulin secretion compared to controls. Lower mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity, inactivity, and visceral adiposity were found to contribute to lower insulin sensitivity in FRDA. The researchers suggest that further studies are needed to determine if interventions targeting muscle or adipose tissue could delay FRDA-related DM. [Extracted from the article]