The effects of aerobic exercise on glycemic control and blood glucose level and body weight and Body mass index between adults with type 2 diabetes in North America: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Abstract:

Background: Type 2 diabetes is the most common disease around the world. Moreover, the prevalence of T2DM increasing dramatically, whether in developed or developing countries. There are several ways to control diabetes; one way is by using medications; another is exercise and lifestyle management. Aim: Explore if aerobic exercise only can help improve blood sugar and contribute to controlling HbA1c and body weight and body mass index in diabetic adults with type 2 diabetes in North America. Design: A systematic review of quantitative literature exploring the effect of aerobic exercise on glycemic control, glucose level, body weight and body mass index amongst adults with type 2 diabetes using meta-analysis. Search Strategy: EMBASE via Ovid and MEDLINE via Ovid and google scholar electronic databases were searched by these terms: “Type 2 diabetes, “adult”, “aerobic exercise”, and “HbA1c”. Reference lists and citations of included records were also screened. Review Method: Four studies have met the inclusion criteria, and 522 men and women were the population for this review. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed for each study. Findings were synthesized using narrative synthesis and meta-analysis. Results: There was a significant change in HbA1c in aerobic exercise compared with the control and combined groups throughout six months in one study and four months in another study. On the other hand, slight changes and not statistically significant body weight and BMI were reported in all groups in the same period. Also, improving glucose levels were recorded in aerobic exercise compared to the control group by using the continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Conclusion: There is a clear improvement in glucose and haemoglobin levels (HbA1c) when using aerobic exercise as an intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the review showed a slight change in either the control or the aerobic groups regarding weight and BMI. Hence, we cannot decide if we can rely on aerobic exercise only without using diabetes medication to improve the HbA1c and glucose level, weight loss and BMI among diabetic adults with type 2 due to insufficient evidence.