IL6 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Likewise, circulating levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, TNF‐α and interleukin (IL)‐6, were increased in older T2DM patients with excessive loss of skeletal muscle mass (Park et al., 2009), and such higher TNF‐α/IL‐6 levels were associated with lower grip strength in elderly persons (Visser et al., 2002).