Living at high altitudes could reduce risk of common disease, study suggests

Living at high altitudes may lower the risk of diabetes, and scientists believe they have finally figured out why.

A new study from the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco examined how red blood cells behave in low-oxygen environments. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, reveal that at high elevations, red blood cells begin absorbing large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream, acting as a "sponge" for sugar.

When oxygen levels drop, these cells then alter their...