Relationship of Habitual Sedentary Behavior with Glycemic Control in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Objective: Sedentary behavior (SB) has been shown to have an acute negative effect on glucose and insulin metabolism in people who are healthy and those with diabetes. It is unknown whether habitual SB will negatively affect long-term glycemic control as measured by HbA1c. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between habitual SB and HbA1c in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Objective assessment of SB and overall daily physical activity was collected in people with T2D in this cross-sectional analysis by asking the participants to wear an activity monitor with accelerometer and inclinometer measures (ActivPAL) for 7 days. The following variables average were included to examine the relationship with HbA1c (measured via disposable blood finger stick test using (A1cNow+) kit): total sitting time (TST), standing time (ST), walking time (WT). Results: Total of 31 participants (65 ± 7.64 years, 10 males) were included in the analysis. The main outcomes averages were as follow: HbA1c 7.33 ± 1.41, TST 11.43 hr. ± 2.21, ST 3.86 hr. ± 1.65, WT 1.49 hr. ± 0.7. Person correlation coefficients test showed that HbA1c was positively correlated with TST (r= 0.365, p<0.05) but not with ST (r= - 0.293, p=0.11) or WT (r= - 0.291, p=0.11). Conclusion: The results of this study indicates that SB level is an important modifiable factor in glycemic control in people with T2D. This effect appears to be independent of daily physical activity level. Future studies should focus on establishing causality between SB and long-term glycemic control. As many people with T2D struggle to meet recommended physical activity levels, targeting SB may be an important step in the process of reaching a healthy lifestyle. Disclosure S. Alothman: None. M. Alshehri: None. A.M. Alenazi: None. P. Kluding: None.