Researchers have discovered that the red blood cells of those with type 2 diabetes had much less microRNA-210 than those of the healthy participants and this can create vascular complications.  The new study published in the journal Diabetes suggests that these specialized cells undergo several changes and can become dysfunctional in people with Type 2 diabetes. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. They also transport carbon dioxide back to the lungs for exhalation. “In a lesser-known but equally crucial role, red blood cells have an influence on maintaining cardiovascular equilibrium,” the report pointed out.

Another change in the red blood cells of people with diabetes is an increased formation of reactive oxygen species. The presence of these molecules can lead to more plaque formation on the interior walls of arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis. In the study, researchers at the  Karolinska Institutet in Sweden tested which molecular changes within red blood cells could explain these dysfunctions.