Type 2 diabetes quietly changes the heart structure and how it produces energy, thus increasing the risk of heart failure, according to a study.

Researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, studied donated human hearts and found that diabetes disrupts how heart cells produce energy, weakens the muscle’s structure, and triggers a buildup of stiff, fibrous tissue that makes it harder for the heart to pump.

These effects were most pronounced in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy-- the leading cause of heart failure. The findings, published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, can help explain why people living with diabetes face a much higher risk of developing heart failure.