High-Altitude Living May Reduce Diabetes Risk, Study Finds

Red blood cells act as 'glucose sponges' in low-oxygen environments, absorbing sugar from the bloodstream.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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A new study from the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco has found that living at high altitudes may lower the risk of diabetes. The research reveals that in low-oxygen environments, red blood cells begin absorbing large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream, acting as a 'sponge' for sugar. This shift in red blood cell metabolism also helps deliver oxygen more efficiently, lowering circulating blood sugar levels and potentially explaining the lower diabetes risk seen in mountain-dwelling populations.

Why it matters

Previous studies have shown that people living at high altitudes (1,500-3,500 meters) are significantly less likely to have diabetes compared to those living at sea level, even after accounting for factors like diet, age, and ethnicity. This new discovery of red blood cells acting as 'glucose sinks' in low-oxygen conditions could open up new ways to think about controlling blood sugar and treating diabetes.

The details

The researchers conducted experiments on mice to better understand how the body responds to hypoxia, or reduced oxygen levels. They found that mice exposed to thin air were able to clear sugar from their bloodstream almost instantly after eating, a trait typically linked to a lower diabetes risk. By using alternative imaging methods, the team discovered that the red blood cells themselves were the 'missing glucose sink', holding onto the glucose in hypoxic conditions. The researchers even developed a drug, HypoxyStat, that mimics this high-altitude effect and was able to reverse high blood sugar in diabetic mice.

  • The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism in 2026.

The players

Isha Jain

A Gladstone investigator and professor of biochemistry at UC San Francisco, who was the senior author of the study.

Yolanda Martí-Mateos

A postdoctoral scholar in Jain's lab and the first author of the study.

Gladstone Institutes

A non-profit research organization in San Francisco that conducted the study.

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What they’re saying

“Red blood cells represent a hidden compartment of glucose metabolism that has not been appreciated until now. This discovery could open up entirely new ways to think about controlling blood sugar.”

— Isha Jain, Gladstone investigator and professor of biochemistry at UC San Francisco

“We looked at muscle, brain, liver — all the usual suspects — but nothing in these organs could explain what was happening.”

— Yolanda Martí-Mateos, Postdoctoral scholar in Jain's lab

What’s next

The researchers acknowledged that the study focused on one specific mouse strain and only looked at young male mice. They said more research is needed to determine if the findings hold true for other mouse strains, as well as for females and older populations.

The takeaway

This discovery of red blood cells acting as 'glucose sponges' in low-oxygen environments could lead to new ways to control blood sugar and treat diabetes, especially for people living at high altitudes where the risk of the disease appears to be lower.