Researchers from the University of Westminster used MRI 3D mapping to study the gluteus maximus muscle in the buttocks. They found that the shape of the muscle changes with aging, lifestyle, frailty, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes, and these changes differ between women and men. The study used data from 61,290 MRI exams in the UK Biobank database and found that people with type 2 diabetes showed sex-specific changes in muscle shape. Men showed muscle shrinkage, while women showed enlarged muscle with fat infiltration. The researchers suggest that shape changes in the gluteus maximus may indicate early functional decline and metabolic compromise in people with type 2 diabetes.