Sport helps against diabetes and heart disease

Sport as a therapy for diabetics and cardiovascular patients?

02/19/2015

Sport counteracts common diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The positive health effects of physical activity are undisputed, according to Techniker Krankenkassen (TK). In a recent study of TC with diabetics and cardiovascular disease is now, however „for the first time outside a clinical trial“ that has been proven by sports „Improve survival-relevant health parameters in the long term, even in older age.“ Corresponding sports programs could therefore "contribute to a significant cost reduction in health care."

The basis of the TC study is the program „Sport as a therapy“ of the Munich Sports Medicine Professor Martin Hall. For three years existed for TK-insured the opportunity to participate in the program, which is scientifically accompanied since the first hour, reports the health insurance. It was true „to check whether it can increase the performance of seriously ill people in the long term again“, so the message of TK on. The program was quite convincing in this regard, according to the first interim results. It showed a comprehensive improvement of crucial health parameters in diabetics and cardiovascular disease patients.

Weight and abdominal circumference reduced, efficiency increased
The Chairman of the Board of the Techniker Krankenkasse, Dr. Ing. Jens Baas, according to, left „It is about developing an everyday program that relies on personal responsibility and helps people master their daily lives better.“ The program of Professor Halle has obviously fulfilled these requirements and has also brought about a significant improvement in the state of health of the participants. The interim results after three years of research show that in the course of the six-month training in the average 65-year-old patients, both the weight and the waist circumference, as well as the cholesterol and the long-term blood glucose value improved. Furthermore, the oxygen intake per kilogram of body weight has increased significantly and „the performance (in watts) increased significantly among the participants“, so the message of TK. In addition, thanks to sports, diabetics were able to significantly reduce their consumption of insulin.

Reduced insulin requirements in diabetics
The increase in performance after six months of training was, according to the TK, almost ten percent, „Insulin requirements were reduced by almost half (46%), and heart rate improved as much as if patients had taken an appropriate drug.“ The 62-year-old participant of the sports program, Marianne Deubzer from Munich, is quoted in the TK press release with the statement that she was motivated by the program to move more. „I have reduced my weight and injected significantly less insulin“, the 62-year-old continues. „The results show that we are on the right path with a mixture of sports medical care, active training assistance and motivational coaching“, stressed TK CEO Baas at the presentation of the study results in Berlin.

Reduction of health expenditure through sport?
„For the first time, our study confirms at the patient care level that exercise significantly improves the performance and cardiovascular risk profile of cardiovascular and diabetic patients“, Professor Halle is pleased about the success of the program. The news agency „dpa“ citing the chairman of the board of directors of the TK that with sport also the high increases of the medicament expenditures could be contained. The treatment of cardiovascular diseases alone would cost 40 billion euros annually. In addition, since 2000, the volume of prescribed medicines in this area has almost doubled. According to the latest study results, the costs incurred here could be significantly reduced by appropriate sports programs.

Sports therapy also for cancer patients?
In view of the success of the sports program for diabetics and cardiovascular patients, the Techniker Krankenkasse has already announced that it will offer a similar program for cancer patients as of this fall. (Fp)