Resistance Exercise on Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Patients With B-thalassemia Exhibiting Resistance to Insulin

Type II diabetes mellitus is a condition characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to insufficient insulin production and action and tissue resistance to insulin. Pre-diabetes is also characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose, but not so high as those in diabetes.

Existing studies have shown that postprandial hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk for complications of diabetes, both microvascular and macrovascular, as it contributes to the deficiency of β-pancreatic cells and endothelial dysfunction to a much greater extent than glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose.

The main problem in glycemic control is the glucose peak 1-2 hours after the meal. Therefore, there is a need to investigate whether postprandial exercise can help solve this problem.

Βeta-thalassemia is a group of heterogeneous hereditary anemias characterized by decreased or no production of beta-chain hemoglobin, resulting in inefficient erythropoiesis. The three main phenotypes are: a) major b) intermediate and c) heterozygous beta-thalassemia. Major thalassemia occurs in the first 2 years of life with severe anemia and requires systemic transfusions. The intermediate appears later and usually does not need transfusions. The heterozygote is asymptomatic, but some carriers may experience mild anemia. Beta-thalassemia is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Patient survival has increased significantly in recent years due to systemic transfusions and early treatment of disease complications. However, multiple transfusions result in the accumulation of large quantities of iron, which is toxic to pancreatic beta cells. Both decreased insulin production and decreased tissue sensitivity to insulin occur and result in pre-diabetes or Type II diabetes.

Regarding the effect of exercise on diabetic patients, it is confirmed that it reduces both the blood glucose concentration and hyperglycemia during the day. Resistance exercise increases heat production and oxygen consumption by the muscles, thus increasing metabolic activity and glucose uptake by these muscles. In addition, resistance exercise improves glycemic control without causing hypoglycemia and without affecting fasting glucose. Thus, the aim of this study is examine the effectiveness of resistance exercise in limiting postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with beta-thalassemia and insulin resistance.