Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Tim Church
Laboratory of Preventive Medicine Research, Pennington Biomedical Research Center Louisiana State University System,
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Abstract The risk of developing both metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is
inversely associated with regular exercise training (ET). Excess weight is also strongly
associated with increased risk of both metabolic syndrome and T2DM. There is strong evidence
that even a moderate amount of weight loss achieved through changes in diet and ET can
greatly reduce the risk of developing T2DM.
For the purpose of general health, exercise programs should have both aerobic and resistance
training components. The 2008 federal physical activity (PA) guidelines recommend obtaining
at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity PA, 75 minutes per week of vigorous-
intensity PA, or a combination of the 2. In addition, all individuals should strive for at least 2
days per week of resistance training activity. For the purpose of weight loss, the combination of
ET and reduced energy intake has been found to be more effective than either alone. (Prog
Cardiovasc Dis 2011;53:412-418)
2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Obesity; Metabolic syndrome; Diabetes
Approximately 24 million individuals in the United
States have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, with
90% to 95% having type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
1
The estimated direct and indirect costs of the disease are
$174 billion.
1
Individuals with T2DM have at least
twice the risk for premature death, heart disease, and
stroke compared with individuals without T2DM.
2
Many
of the complications associated with T2DM can be
prevented through regular exercise training (ET), healthy
diet, and weight loss when indicated. The metabolic
syndrome (MetS) is a strong risk factor for T2DM and is
typically defined as the clustering of abnormal levels of
lipids (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyc-
erides), glucose, blood pressure, and excess abdominal
obesity.
3-6
Given the similarities in pathophysiology
with T2DM, it is not surprising that regular ET and
weight control play a critical role in the prevention and
treatment of MetS.
Despite the widely accepted importance of ET in the
conditions of T2DM and MetS, there remains great debate
about exercise prescription for general health and weight
loss within these conditions. This overview will attempt to
bring some clarity to these issues, specifically examining
the roles of ET and weight loss in preventing and treating
both MetS and T2DM.
MetS, Weight, and ET
The MetS is typically defined as a clustering of
abnormal levels of lipids (high-density lipoprotein cho-
lesterol and triglycerides), glucose, blood pressure, and
excess abdominal obesity. Given that abdominal obesity is
a component of the definition of MetS, it makes sense that
excess weight is a strong risk factor for its development. In
the cross-sectional studies that examined the prevalence of
Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 53 (2011) 412418
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Statement of Conflict of Interest: see page 417.