Some Diabetic Patients May Not Benefit from Exercise .... Says Research !!!!

Asoformin; Avimet; Conformin; dibimet; formet ; Glumet ; Glyciphage ; Glycomet ; Insumet ; Metformin ; Metlife ; Obimet ; Omet ; Walaphage and more………  most likely that you can identify what this is easily as many Indians are buying this daily……..  For decades, patients have managed their type 1 diabetes by injecting themselves with insulin to regulate the glucose in their blood. Initially it was painful ~ now there are fine needles available, still…….. it never is a happy state of affairs…. They say Diabetes is not a disease but only a disorder – howsoever you name it, one has to simply live with it… it is killing mentally ~ as you cannot eat what you want to and would start feeling that the whole World exists to eat ! and you are denied that pleasure.  Injecting insulin addresses the immediate danger of low insulin levels. Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.  This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger). There are three main types of diabetes mellitus (DM). Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and currently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes". Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. The third  is  gestational diabetes occurring in pregnant women without a previous diagnosis of diabetes develop a high blood glucose level. It may precede development of type 2 DM. Untreated, diabetes can cause many complications. The Nation is earning the dubious distinction of having more diabetics than any other part of the World. Our ancestors lived naturally – longer and healthier at that.  As one could recall, three or four generations earlier, people were used to hard physical labour, would eat natural things, had clean habits, lived happily with lesser worries and lesser medication.  Some attribute the ‘stressful living’ as a major cause of diabetes.  Sedentary lifestyle lacking physical activity too contributes …. People would immediately start advising on remedies and the way to control (without ever having to control by themselves) ……. Some fruits are often written as possessing magical wonders.  The fact that there cannot be a simple remedy and one should alter their lifestyle, engage in physical activity and have a diet pattern that suits the individual.  If you have type 2 diabetes, you should aim for about 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week, according to the American Diabetes Association. Walking 10,000 steps per day is equal to five miles; most people whose jobs have them largely sitting at desks only take about 4,000 to 5,000 steps each day.  Short walks from the desk may not count and one should devote exclusive time for physical activity.  Yogic exercises would be of help for sure... Yogathon at Marina Though physical  activity plays a big role in keeping blood sugar in check mere burning calories will not do – and it may not be the same with all individuals.   If exercise were to throw away diabetes, some known actors who are fitness freaks too, would not be diabetics, so also sportspersons.  In Cricket, bowling is a good physical activity and fast bowlers burn lot of calories.  Wasim Akram was a giant among the pacers and could bowl many overs too – back in 1997, in the middle of a Test Series, he was diagnosed as having diabetes ! It is also a fact that for some, though they exercise good self-restraint in keeping away from food containing sugar – their blood sugar level may still continue to rise – not because of their indulgence,  of not exercising but simply because the body is not cooperating, the way it should.   An article on 20.11.14 by Madlen Davies for MailOnline state that ‘20% of type 2 diabetics will NOT benefit from exercise - and it's their genes that are to blame’.  Here are some excerpts from that article. For years, doctors have been warning exercise is crucial in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. Those who have already been diagnosed with the condition are told exercise is key to managing their illness.  But a new study has found some patients will not benefit from exercise, turning conventional wisdom on its head.  According to new research, a fifth of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes will not benefit from exercise - because of their genes.  Doctors found as many as one in five people with type 2 do not see any improvement in blood sugar management when they engage in a supervised exercise programme. People develop type 2 diabetes when their body becomes resistant to the hormone insulin, which is the key that unlocks cells in the body to allow sugar inside to be used for energy. Insulin resistance leads to excess sugar in the bloodstream.  Over time high levels of sugar in the blood leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. Doctors analysed clinical studies where people with type 2 diabetes participated in exercise programmes, as well as animal and genetic studies on the topic. In future, people whose genes mean they are not likely to respond to an exercise program could be identified and given other treatment, experts said. 'Most people benefit from an exercise regimen, but recent research indicates that a significant minority of individuals with type 2 diabetes do not experience the same improvements in metabolism due to their genes. Genetic patterns could be the key to differentiating between those who would benefit and those who would not. Is that in any way good news for people afflicted by diabetes ?
With regards – S. Sampathkumar                                                        24th Nov. 2014.