US researchers find link between relaxation
and diabetes control
ABC Online 27/12/2001
Stress reduction techniques such as relaxation and breathing exercises can work as well as
some drugs to control the effects of diabetes, researchers say.
Nearly one-third of diabetes patients who regularly practiced the techniques lowered their
blood sugar levels by 1 per cent or more, a team at Duke University Medical Centre
reported.
"The stress management techniques, when added to standard care, helped reduce glucose
levels," medical psychologist Richard Surwit of Duke, who led the study, said in a
statement.
"The change is nearly as large as you would expect to see from some diabetes-control
drugs," added Dr Surwit, whose team's findings were reported in the January 2002
issue of the journal Diabetes Care.
"These techniques are simple, quick to learn, and have been shown to work for
multiple conditions, including coronary syndromes," Dr Surwit added.
"There are many self-help books and other commercially available materials about
stress management from which patients can learn these techniques."
Research
His team worked with 108 patients with type II or adult-onset diabetes.
All the patients took part in five 30 minute educational sessions about diabetes.
Half also got stress management training taught by nurses or graduate students
specifically trained for the study.
After a year, 32 per cent of the patients taught stress management had a 1 per cent or
higher reduction in blood glucose levels - a basic measurement of their diabetes.
Only 12 per cent of the patients who did not get the stress training had such a reduction.
Dr Surwit found no differences between the groups in weight, diet or exercise - all of
which can affect the course of diabetes.
But he said stress can also affect diabetes directly.
"Experiencing stress is associated with the release of hormones that lead to energy
mobilisation, known as the 'fight or flight' response," Dr Surwit said.
"Key to this energy mobilisation is the transport of glucose into the bloodstream,
resulting in elevated glucose levels, which is a health threat for people with
diabetes."
END
OF REPORT
Back |
|
