Effects of rehabilitation exercise on glucose and lipid metabolism and the quality of life of patients with both coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of rehabilitation exercise on glucose and lipid metabolism as well as on the quality of life of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes receiving conventional drug treatment.Methods Seventy-six hospitalized patients with both CHD and type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into an exercise group (37 cases) and a control group (39 cases).Both groups were given routine drug treatment (including aspirin,atorvastatin,metoprolol,metformin,etc.).The exercise group started with moderate intensity aerobic exercise; the patients in the control group were just given routine care.After 3 months,fasting plasma glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,blood lipids and any changes in the quality of life of the 2 groups were measured.Results Fasting plasma glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels decreased significantly in both groups,and the quality of life index in both two groups improved significantly compared with the baseline,but the improvements in the exercise group were significantly greater.Conclusion As a supplement to routine drug therapy,rehabilitation exercise can further improve glucose and lipid metabolism and the quality of life of patients with CHD and type 2 diabetes. Key words: Rehabilitation; Exercise; Coronary artery; Heart disease; Diabetes mellitus; Glucose metabolism; Lipid metabolism; Quality of life