Examining the barriers and benefits to exercise in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes

Kennedy, Amy (2017). Examining the barriers and benefits to exercise in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Preservation of beta cell function reduces the risk of the complications of T1D. Regular exercise preserves beta cell function rat models of T1D and patients with other forms of diabetes. We wished to examine whether exercise could preserve beta cell function in T1D and whether this was influenced by adipokine receptor expression and function.
We undertook a qualitative study to explore barriers to exercise in patients newly diagnosed with T1D. This showed that patients lacked confidence managing diabetes for exercise, and were poorly supported by healthcare professionals. Using these results, we then undertook a pilot clinical trial aiming to determine recruitment and retention, adherence to exercise, and exploring whether exercise preserves beta cell function in patients newly diagnosed with T1D. We show successful recruitment to an unsupervised exercise intervention study. We did not detect a beneficial effect of exercise on beta cell function in this pilot trial, but identified several areas that will need to be addressed in designing a larger scale study.
Finally, we demonstrate improved adiponectin receptor expression and adiponectin mediated suppression of T cell endothelial migration in the months after diagnosis with T1D.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):