This study investigated the effects of a 12-week a combination of online and in-person exercise intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in individuals over the age of 50 with type 2 diabetes(T2D), and compared differences on the factors by gender....
This study investigated the effects of a 12-week a combination of online and in-person exercise intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in individuals over the age of 50 with type 2 diabetes(T2D), and compared differences on the factors by gender. The subjects included men (n=13) and women (n=12) over the age of 50 with T2D, who participated in moderate-intensity exercise interventions twice a week for 60 minutes over 12 weeks, combining online and in-person sessions. Women participants with T2D showed significantly higher levels of BMI (p<.05), DBP (p<.05), TC (p<.001), LDL-C (p<.05), HDL-C (p<.05), and cardiorespiratory fitness (p<.05) compared to their men participants. Significant interaction effects between gender and time observed for BMI (p<.05), DBP (p<.05), TC (p<.01), and LDL-C (p<.001) after intervention.
Additionally, gender differences were observed in fasting blood glucose (p<.05), total cholesterol (p<.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<.01), and cardiorespiratory fitness (p<.05). Both men and women with T2Ds showed improvements in HDL-C and cardiorespiratory fitness following the intervention (p<.05). The change in body weight was positively correlated with changes in TC and LDL-C (p<.001), while BMI changes were positively correlated with muscle mass changes (p<.05).
Changes in body fat percentage were positively correlated with changes in TC (p<.05). Muscle mass changes were significantly negatively correlated with changes in SBP (p<.01) and fasting glucose (p<.05), whereas changes in SBP were positively correlated with changes in LDL-C (p<.01). In conclusion, women with T2D were found to have higher levels of obesity and blood lipids than their men counterparts, placing them at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. After the 12 week exercise intervention, improvements in obesity and blood lipid levels were more significant in women compared to men, suggesting that a combination of online and in-person exercise interventions is effective in reducing cardiovscular disease risk in the population over the age of 50 with T2D.