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Increasing physical activity reduces atherosclerosis, CV risk in children with type 1 diabetes
Low physical activity level in children with type 1 diabetes is linked with early signs of atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular risk, according to study findings published in Diabetes Care.
“Children with type 1 diabetes have vascular structural changes (increased carotid and aortic intima-media thickness),” the researchers wrote. “[Aortic intima-media thickness] relates to [carotid intima-media thickness] and both relate to CV risk factors. [Aortic intima-media thickness] has been shown to be an earlier marker of atherosclerosis in children.”
Alexia S. Peña, MD, a senior lecturer at The University of Adelaide in Australia, and colleagues evaluated 90 children with type 1 diabetes (41 boys; aged 13.6 years) to determine the links between activity levels of intima-media thickness (IMT) in children with type 1 diabetes.
“We hypothesized that lower activity levels were related to thicker IMT,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers evaluated participants’ carotid IMT and aortic IMT, and activity levels indicated by steps per day were measured using a SenseWear Miniform Factor Armband (Body Media Inc.) worn for a minimum of 5 consecutive days, including one weekend day.
The armband was worn for 23.2 hours per day by 98% of the participants, and 55% of 88 participants took fewer than 10,000 steps a day.
Average steps per day related to mean aortic IMT (P = .005) and maximum aortic IMT (P = .007). Decreases in mean aortic IMT (P = .005) and maximum aortic IMT (P = .007) were associated with an increase in step count of 1,000 steps per day, independent of age, HbA1c, BMI z score, blood pressure, triglycerides, LDL, HDL and total cholesterol.
Higher mean aortic IMT (P = .01) and maximum aortic IMT (P = .02) were found among participants who took fewer than 10,000 steps per day.
Participants who increased their steps per day by 1,000 had a lower CV risk (P = .004), reductions in weight, systolic BP (P < .001) and diastolic BP (P = .005), and an increase in HDL cholesterol (P = .04).
No associations were found with carotid IMT.
“An important clinical message is that even a small increase in activity relates to better vascular structure and risk factors,” the researchers wrote – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.