Authors (including presenting author) :
Jenny Leung YY (1), Shimen Au (2), Sambo Wan (3), Joanie Yeung (3), Carol Lam (3), Wong PY (3), Emily Chan (3)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of M&G, Ruttonjee & Tang Shiu Kin Hospital, (2)Department of Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, (3)Physiotherapy Department, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
Introduction :
There are increasing number of patient suffering from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and the related complications. Physical activities and weight control are well-proven non-pharmacological measures for type 2 DM (T2DM). In Europe, Nordic Walking is widely adopted in DM patient group as a mean for disease management. Hong Kong East Cluster incorporate Nordic walking as training for different patient groups since 2019. This study aims to evaluate the effects of 12-week Nordic walking in patients with T2DM.
Objectives :
To evaluate the effect of 12-week Physiotherapy Nordic walk training in the physiological and physical components of patients with T2DM.
Methodology :
From December 2019 to December 2021, patients with T2DM who follow-up in HKEC Endocrine Clinic and were able to walk unaided were invited for the Nordic walk training. The 12-week Physiotherapy Nordic walk program included 3 sessions of Nordic walk training supervised by a physiotherapist and then followed by 9-weeks home-practice. Physiological Outcomes were included fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Physical Outcomes were body weight (kg), percentage body fat (%), 30-second chair-stand test (30-SCST) and 15-meters gait speed test (m/s). Body composition were measured by InBody. The blood test and physical assessment were conducted before and after the 12-weeks program.
Result & Outcome :
29 DM patients were recruited and completed the program. Blood test results were available for 24 patients. The LDL-C significantly decreased 0.28 (p=0.039). The body weight and percentage body fat of overweight diabetic patients significantly decreased 1.14 kg (p=0.005) and decreased from 40.44% to 39.67% (p=0.027) respectively. There was also statistically significant improvement in the 30-SCST from 12.61 to 15.93 repetitions (p< 0.001) and the 15-meter gait speed test was improved by 0.36 m/s (p< 0.001). Although HBA1c was no statistical significance, 6 patients had decreased HbA1c by >0.5% which is clinically significant. The mean fasting blood glucose decreased from 7.12 to 6.76 mmol/L.
