Poor glucose control is bad for birds, too.

What is it about?

Poor control of blood glucose levels is a hallmark of ageing in humans and laboratory model organisms, but we have little information on the importance of this process in non-model animals. In a free-living bird, we found evidence for a higher mortality of individuals with high glucose levels from yearling to mid-age individuals and a senescence of glucose regulation in older individuals.

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Why is it important?

Our study supports the idea that poor control of glucose levels decreases survival and could contribute to ageing in free-living populations. This study is an important step in identifying conserved mechanisms of senescence in the animal kingdom.