Relationship between habitual physical activity and insulin area among individuals with impaired glucose tolerance: The San Luis Valley diabetes study

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 490 - 497
• Main Authors: Regensteiner, J.G, Shetterly, S.M, Mayer, E.J, Eckel, R.H, Haskell, W.L, Baxter, J, Hamman, R.F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Diabetes Association 01-04-1995
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Colorado - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; Hispanic Americans; Hispanics; Humans; Insulin - blood; insulin secretion; Male; Medical sciences; men; Middle Aged; nationalities and ethnic groups; non-hispanic caucasions; physical activity; Physical Fitness - physiology; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Surveys and Questionnaires; women; Colorado; Endocrinopathy; Physical exercise; Human; Protein hormone; Pancreatic hormone; Metabolic interrelation; Glucose; Metabolism; Impaired glucose tolerance; Insulin
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548
• DOI: 10.2337/diacare.18.4.490

OBJECTIVE-To determine whether higher levels of physical activity are associated with lower fasting insulin levels and lower insulin areas under the oral glucose tolerance curve in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a community setting. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Data from a cross-sectional study of a population consisting of 219 Hispanic and non-Hispanic white men and women with IGT (by World Health Organization criteria) in two rural Colorado counties were analyzed. Total physical activity was assessed by a 7-day physical activity recall, from which metabolic equivalents (METs) were estimated (expressed as MET h/week). Relationships of MET h/week with fasting insulin levels and insulin areas were assessed while considering obesity, age, and other risk factors known to influence fasting insulin level and insulin area. RESULTS--Among all subjects, univariate analyses showed that higher physical activity levels were associated with lower mean insulin areas and fasting insulin levels (both P less than or equal to 0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that higher levels of physical activity were significantly associated with lower values of the insulin area (P < 0.001) but not with fasting insulin levels. The relationship between insulin area and habitual physical activity was independent of obesity, fat distribution, and age. CONCLUSIONS--On the basis of cross-sectional data, we conclude that higher levels of habitual physical activity are associated with lower insulin areas in a population of individuals with IGT. Understanding the impact of physical activity on markers of insulin action in individuals with IGT is important because of the greatly enhanced risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and, hence, cardiovascular disease in this population.