Evaluación de un programa de ejercicio físico supervisado en pacientes sedentarios mayores de 65 años con diabetes mellitus tipo 2()

OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether an exercise program can modify glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), lipids, cardiovascular risk profile (CVR), self-perceived health status (SHS), and pharmaceutical expenditure (PE). DESIGN: A randomized, single blind, controlled trial. Intervention: program of supervised aerobic physical exercise. Analysis by intention to treat. LOCATION: Primary Care: 2 rural health areas. Health Area of Navalmoral. Cáceres. Extremadura. Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 100 type 2 diabetic patients, aged 65 to 80 years, sedentary. Distribution: 50% control group (CG) and 50% intervention group (IG). Abandoned 12%. INTERVENTION: monitored aerobic exercise: 40 minutes, 2 days/week, 3 months. KEY MEASURES: HbA1c, BP, BMI, lipid, CVR, SHS, PE. Complications during exercise. RESULTS: There were post-intervention differences between groups in HbA1c, BP, BMI, cholesterol and SHS. In the IG, there was a significant decrease in; HbA1c: 0.2 ± 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1 to 0.3), systolic BP: 11.8 ± 8.5 mmHg (95% CI: 5.1 to 11.9), BMI: 0.5 ± 1 (95% CI: 0.2 to 0.8), total cholesterol: 14 ± 28.2 mg/dl (95% CI: 5.9 to 22.2), LDL: 18.3 ± 28.2 mg/dl 95% CI: 10.2 to 26.3), CVR: 6.7 ± 7.7% (95% CI: 4.5 to 8.9), PE: 3.9 ± 10.2 € (95% CI: 0.9 to 6.8), and an increase in SHS; 4.7 ± 5.7 (95% CI: 3 to 6.3). CONCLUSIONS: In diabetics over 65 years, a program of monitored aerobic exercise, of easy implementation, improves HbA1c, BP, cholesterol, CVR, PE, and SHS.