Instead of insulin

Now women diabetics need to take the doctors’ advice to exercise even more seriously.

Any news on research related to diabetes invariably makes the headlines. It is no surprise, considering that the United Nations recognises diabetes mellitus as a big threat to its Millennium Development Goals.

Of particular significance is type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is often attributed to lifestyle or dietary abnormalities. Now, a University of Glasgow study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, has revealed that, at least in women, exercise has a central role in managing the disease.

The researchers found that women at high risk of diabetes can reduce their body’s insulin resistance — the most important biological risk factor for diabetes — by exercising. After seven weeks of an exercise programme, insulin resistance was found to have reduced by 22 per cent in women whose family history put them at a high risk of type 2 diabetes.

People with a family history of diabetes are said to be predisposed to the condition themselves, and tend to have greater resistance (insensitivity) to insulin, which affects blood sugar control. But no significant change in insulin resistance was seen in women from non-diabetic families.

Over the test period, a group of high-risk volunteers, aged between 20 and 45, was chosen. The health history of each member’s family meant they were considered to be at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Of the 70-strong group, 34 had at least one parent with type 2 diabetes. There were 26 control volunteers whose parents had no history of diabetes. These volunteers in their daily lives usually did less than one hour of physical activity per week, and had sedentary jobs.

They were made to follow a fitness programme which started with three 30-minute training sessions in the first week. This increased to five hour-long sessions in weeks six and seven. The exercise regime focussed on cardiovascular activities like running, rowing, aerobics and cycling.

Jason Gill, who heads the team that carried out the study, said: “The offspring of people with type 2 diabetes are about three times more likely to develop the disease than those with no family history of the disease. Not only is type 2 diabetes a very serious condition itself, but it can double or triple the risk of heart disease.”

The study has been published in the journal Diabetologia, where another scientist from the team, Nick Barwell, concludes: “Our research shows that developing diabetes is not inevitable for people with a family history of diabetes. People at high risk have it within their power to substantially reduce their risk by increasing their activity levels.”

Now the researchers have set about trying the same study on men, and hope to find similar results.