Brief bouts of exercise begin to reverse heart abnormalities in people with type 2 diabetes

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/d-bbo090715.php

Public Release: 9-Sep-2015
Brief bouts of exercise begin to reverse heart abnormalities in people with type 2 diabetes
Diabetologia

A new study in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) is the first to show that high intensity intermittent exercise training improves heart structure and benefits diabetes control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study is led by Professor Michael Trenell and Dr Sophie Cassidy from Newcastle University (UK) and was funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely as those without diabetes to have heart disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death and complications for people with type 2 diabetes. The effect of diabetes on the heart happens early, with changes in the structure and function of the left ventricle (the heart's main pump), prior to any symptomatic cardiac disease. Despite the importance of the heart, there are few treatment options to improve its structure and function.

A physically active lifestyle is known to help manage type 2 diabetes and is recommended alongside a good diet, as it is for people without diabetes.

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