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A new study found that exercise can help patients better manage type 1 diabetes.
A new study has some exciting news for people who suffer from type 1 diabetes. According to the researchers, a certain amount of aerobic exercise each day can provide a way to better manage the disease.
The new study was published online on October 11th in journal Cell Transplantation by researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Diabetes Research Institute.
The study analyzed the exercise activity of six people suffering from type 1 diabetes over a period of three months. Another group of seven people suffering from diabetes represented the control group. Researchers found that the diabetics who engaged in aerobic exercises daily had an improved blood sugar control, used less insulin overall and even had fewer high blood sugar events than the other group who did not exercise.
If you’re not familiar with the disease, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune affliction. It causes the body’s own immune system to attack and destroy the beta cells in the pancreas. The cells are responsible for the production of insulin and thus diabetics have little or not all. As a consequence, their bodies can’t process glucose.
Type 1 diabetes is most commonly treated by administering several doses of insulin a day, either through multiple injections or by using a small tube attached to an insulin pump.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Livio Luzi, although physical exercise can improve the condition of diabetics and reduce their required daily intake of insulin, unfortunately, it isn’t a replacement for standard treatments as insulin will always be required.
The doctor recommends an educational program tailored to type 1 diabetics, focusing on the monitoring of their insulin intake, diet and exercise has proven to be a good way to better manage the disease.
Despite the study’s promising results, a more advanced analysis on a greater group of people is required for the results to be confirmed. Nonetheless, exercise is almost universally beneficial and even though the initial results won’t be reproduced on a larger scale, it won’t hurt to exercise more. Especially when the rate of diabetics in the US in increasing.
Are you suffering from type 1 diabetes? Do you exercise daily?
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