Benefits of structured exercise training for people with obesity affected by type-2 diabetes and hypertension: a Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES. To investigate the effects of a 12 week structured exercise program supervised by professional staff in people with obesity affected by type-2 diabetes and hypertension. METHODS. 32 obese patients (13 females and 19 males) suffering from both hypertension and type-2 diabetes were enrolled in the study. The improvement of cardiovascular risk factors such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glycaemia and lipid profiles, alongside body composition parameters and anthropometric data, were evaluated at the beginning end of an exercise program of 12 weeks dura- tion. RESULTS. The body mass index, biceps skinfold and waist and thigh circumference showed a marked decrease in each patient evaluated. Furthermore, participation in the structured exercise training resulted in a lowering of both diastolic and systolic blood pressure of patients and in a decrease of both glucose plasma concentration and the gly- catedhaemoglobin HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS. Our findings support the view that combined aerobic and strength training are effective in im- proving both cardiovascular fitness and glycaemic control in people with obesity suffering from hypertension and type-2 diabetes. The improvements obtained in 12 weeks of training may be sufficient to motivate the participants to carry on and modify their lifestyle over the longer term