Association between the physical activity level and the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

[Purpose] Physical activity and regular exercise play an important role in glycemic control, which is considered an important part of the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated physical activity level and its relationship with quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. [Subjects and Methods] We evaluated 129 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus through a face-to-face interview using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Diabetes-39. Demographic data, diabetes symptoms, time of initial diagnosis, and treatment procedure/approaches were recorded. [Results] Of the study subjects, 51 (39.5%) had low, 67 had moderate (51.9%), and 11 (8.5%) had high activity levels. The mean weekly sitting duration was 302 minutes. The mean weekly walking time was 231.7 minutes. Except for the "diabetes control" domain, scores for all the subgroups and the total score in the quality-of-life assessment had a statistically significant negative correlation with physical activity level. [Discussion] Physical inactivity negatively affects the quality of life of diabetic patients. A planned exercise education program and incorporation of exercise into the lifestyle can improve the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Osteoprotegerin as a marker of atherosclerosis in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the availability of osteoprotegerin (OPG) as a marker of atherosclerosis and compare serum OPG levels with ankle-brachial index (ABI) in diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 31 type 1 and 31 type 2 diabetic patients without macrovascular complications and 20 healthy volunteers were included. Serum OPG levels and ABI were measured. RESULTS: The duration of diabetes was significantly higher in type 1 diabetics than in type 2, although there was no significant difference between mean HbA1c levels. There was a weak and inverse correlation between OPG and atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics only (P = 0.046, r = -0.360). There was a weak, positive correlation between ABI and HbA1c in all participant groups (P = 0.047, r = 0.220), and a weak-medium correlation in type 2 diabetics (P = 0.021, r = 0.414). After the adjustment of OPG levels to atherosclerosis risk factors, only the age factor was found to be effective on OPG. CONCLUSION: The inverse correlation of serum OPG with atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics suggests that atherosclerosis may be related to increased duration of diabetes. Since the study participants did not show macrovascular complications, future prospective studies on the development of diabetic complications and correlation with OPG might give further information about the availability of OPG as a marker of atherosclerosis.