The cells lining blood vessels that transport glucose out of the bloodstream lose function with aging, obesity, and lack of exercise, leading to prolonged high blood sugar.

“One of them is that the cells that line the blood vessels that suck the glucose out of your system, are losing their function. There's a particular gene that's required to suck glucose through the cell. From outside in. It's called GLUT4, It's a glucose transporter, number four. And over time with aging, and particularly if you're obese and you don't exercise and don't all the good things, your cells lose the ability to make that GLUT4 transporter, and glucose will stay in your bloodstream for longer, which is toxic.”