Movement has profound effects on the disease and helps prevent and control it, even in those with pre-diabetes. In Italy 5% of the diabetic population
an epidemic that already affects today over four million Italians and according to estimates it is destined to spread even more in the near future. Yet keeping diabetes at bay can be as easy as getting off the couch: move for half an hour a day, no less than two or three times a weekmaintains normal sugar metabolism e reduces the probability of falling ill in subsequent years by up to about 40 percent. This was demonstrated by Finnish research, the Metsim study (METabolic Syndrome in Men), which followed over 7,000 men for 8 years, not only recording their physical activity and the possible onset of type 2 diabetes, but also measuring levels of 1,260 metabolites present in the blood: this in-depth examination clearly showed that exercise literally changes your metabolismpositively modifying the levels of just under 200 molecules which are associated with a better health profile and a lower probability of diabetes.
The situation in Italy
In Italy, the prevalence of diabetics has been stable since 2008. On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the PASSI surveillance system of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit photographed the situation in Italy. In the two-year period 2020-2021, just under 5% of the adult population aged 18-69 reported a diagnosis of diabetes. The prevalence of diabetics grows with age (2% among people under 50 and nearly 9% among those aged 50-69), more frequent among men than among women (5.1% against 4.2%), in the socio-economically most disadvantaged segments of the population in terms of education or economic conditions (almost 16% among those without any educational qualification or at most an elementary school certificate and reaching 8% among people with many economic difficulties).
The other risk factors
Diabetes strongly associated with others cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, excess weight and sedentary lifestyle, problems that are much more frequent among those diagnosed with diabetes: 53% report a diagnosis of hypertension (against 18% among people without a diagnosis of diabetes ) 42% report a diagnosis of high cholesterol (against 18% among those without diabetes) 70% report being overweight (BMI = 25, against 42% among people without a diabetes diagnosis) and, of these , only 44% are following a diet to try to lose weight. Finally i47% of people with diabetes are completely sedentary.
Metabolism
sedentary lifestyle is the worst enemy of diabetes. In fact, as the Finnish study confirmed, movement can make the difference. Moving, for example, changes the profile of lipids, amino acids and hormones present in the circulation for the better and above all has consequences on insulin, lhormone that regulates sugar metabolism: Who does physical activity has a better production of insulin and also more sensitive to its effects, so on average it has a lower blood sugar which then over the years translates into a lower risk of diabetes. The danger drops by 30 percent in those who exercise at least half an hour twice a week, by 39 percent in those who exercise 3 or more times; the positive effect, even if less marked, was also for those who were sedentary and then, over the years, got a move on. As he adds Paolo Mazzucacoordinator of the study group on diabetes and physical activity of the Italian Society of Diabetology, physical activity prevents the disease even in those who already have pre-diabetes (i.e. have reduced glucose tolerance and impaired fasting blood sugar, ndr), but at the same time a real therapy in people with diabetes, because studies have shown that a good exercise program can reduce the number and dose of drugs needed to keep blood sugar under control.
Dosage of physical activity
Just as it is not enough to tell a patient to take a medicine for diabetes, but times and methods of administration must be prescribed, so physical activity is a therapy to be dosed by type, intensity, duration, frequency and progression of the “training”, taking into account the characteristics of the individual case. People with diabetes, for example, often have tendon and muscle problems who accumulate triglycerides, elements that can condition the dose and the possible exercise modality; moreover, walking remains a cornerstone and the simplest way to exercise, but it is not enough because you need to combine exercises that increase muscle mass.
No to sedentary lifestyle
The important thing is not to sit down because, as Mazzuca points out, a sedentary lifestyle in itself is a risk for the development of diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease: even the laziest person has to get up from his chair and walk for a few minutes every half hour. 75 percent of the glucose that circulates after meals, the use of which depends on insulin, is used precisely by the muscles: setting them in motion “conditions” the general metabolism, as also demonstrated by the Finnish data, and gradually improves it by reducing health risks. It also happens in those who are very sedentary, if physical activity is prescribed and tailored to the needs of the individual, concludes the expert.
November 14, 2022 (change November 14, 2022 | 12:29)
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