EXERCISE ‘HAS IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY’ IN DELAYING ONSET OF TYPE 1 DIABETES

Increased activity straight after diagnosis encourages pancreas to work harder and extend ‘honeymoon period’

Patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes could improve their long-term health prospects by exercising, new research suggests.

Scientists found the first few months after recognising the condition were critical to helping to reduce the risk of further medical complications.

The study showed those who exercised soon after the diagnosis could delay the onset of high blood glucose levels.

Prolonging this “honeymoon period” means the pancreas – which produces insulin to regulate blood sugar levels – is able to function as normal for longer.

“Our data demonstrates exercise could play an important role for people recently found to have type 1 diabetes,” said Dr Parth Narendran, of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy.

“There is now a need for clinical trials to investigate whether exercise can prolong the duration of the honeymoon period and to explore the mechanisms underlying this.”

Type 1 diabetes is a lesser understood condition compared with type 2, which is commonly brought on by lifestyle choices, including poor diet and lack of exercise.

About 60 per cent of adults with a recent type 1 diagnosis are understood to experience a period where the pancreas still works efficiently, and can still produce insulin.

As time progresses, however, the pancreas can begin to produce less insulin, meaning blood sugar levels are not controlled.

Sugar levels that are too high can cause life-threatening complications such as dehydration in the short-term or organ failure long term.

Researchers found those who exercised had a honeymoon period lasting on average five times longer – or 33 months – than those who did no exercise.

Just 10 per cent of those with diabetes are thought to have type 1 and doctors remain unsure what causes the condition.

As the body fails to produce enough insulin, those affected must take daily injections of the hormone.

More is known about type 2 diabetes, where the body either does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin produced does not work properly.

Family history, age, ethnic background and weight can all increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but a healthy diet and exercise can reverse the effects. Type 1 usually affects children or young adults and can start suddenly before rapidly getting worse.

The UK study, published in

Diabetic Medicine, is the first to link regular exercise to the delayed onset of Type 1.

It could reduce the effect of associated health conditions such as sight loss, kidney failure and stroke.

Last year, the International Diabetes Federation revealed 17.3 per cent of the UAE population aged between 20 and 79 have type 2 diabetes.

Although exact figures for those with type 1 in the UAE are not available, it is thought to be between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the diabetes population.

Dr Sarla Kumari, a diabetes specialist at Canadian Specialist Hospital in Dubai, said: “Although exercise does not delay onset of type 1 diabetes, exercise could delay progression of the condition once diagnosed.

“This study shows exercise improves how the body responds to insulin by preserving the functions of insulin-producing cells in the body.

“But because this study was small, there is a need for much larger studies to confirm these early results.”

Dr Yasser Sadawey, of Medeor 24x7 International Hospital in Al Ain, said diabetics who exercised could experience a drop in blood glucose during or after their workout so advised caution in those recently found to have the condition and to make sure they checked their blood sugar levels.