Cardiopulmonary And Quality Of Life Responses Of Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes To Therapeutic Exercises

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary complications of diabetes mellitus contribute greatly to the morbidity, mortality, and reduced quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). These complications require multifactorial treatment which includes targeting hyperglycaemia, obesity, hypertension and reduced lung functions among other factors which had been shown to pose challenge to people with T2DM. The inclusion of an appropriate exercise program is thus critical for optimal health in individuals with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the cardiopulmonary, biochemical, anthropometric and QoL of individuals with T2DM in response to therapeutic exercises. It was also aimed at determining the time frame when therapeutic effects of exercise interventions occur.

METHODOLOGY: Sixty individuals with T2DM, both male and female within the age range of 20-75years participated in this study. They were consecutively recruited and randomly allocated into two exercise groups and a control group. Therapeutic exercise interventions for groups I and II were existing exercise protocols which were aerobic exercises on treadmill and bicycle ergometer respectively at progressive moderate intensity of 60%, 70% and 80% of heart rate reserve combined with resistance exercises at moderate intensity of 50%, 60% and 70% of one repetition maximum. The outcome measures were obtained at baseline, 4th week, 8th week and 12th week of the intervention period. These included cardiovascular parameters [resting arterial systolic (RASBP) and diastolic blood pressure (RADBP) and resting rate pressure product (RRPP)], pulmonary parameters [oxygen uptake (VO2max), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)], anthropometric parameters (body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (WC)) and QoL variables.