Work

Global Warming and Type 2 Diabetes: Sex and Gender as Drivers in a Multidimensional Feedback Loop

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Climate change is increasingly recognized as a determinant of metabolic health. Emerging evidence indicates that rising temperatures impair glucose homeostasis-specifically through reduced brown adipose tissue activity and increased insulin resistance-thereby exacerbating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. Concurrently, food systems drive substantial greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), with gender-differentiated dietary patterns uniquely influencing both environmental impact and health outcomes. In this perspective, we move beyond well-established separate links to propose an original integrated and systemic conceptual framework. This framework connects gender-related drivers in dietary behaviors, GHGE, global warming, brown adipose tissue dysfunction, and T2DM risk into an integrated multidimensional feedback model, providing a novel basis to generate hypotheses for future mechanistic, epidemiological, and intervention studies, supporting gender-sensitive prevention strategies.

Source: Global Challenges

DOI: 10.1002/gch2.70140

Authors: Massimo D'Archivio, Giulia Zanchi, Alessia Tammaro, Roberta Masella, Claudia Cataldo

Institution: Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,810