AsianScientist (Nov. 15, 2016) – A rubber belt that delivers a mild electrical stimulation and triggers the heat shock response could be an effective way to treat type 2 diabetes in patients that find it difficult to exercise. These findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease of systemic organ failure due to chronic high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and inflammation from the accumulation of excess visceral fat. Metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia reduce the body’s stress resistance and exacerbate insulin resistance.
The heat shock response is activated as a response to stress in the human body, but its function decreased in those with type 2 diabetes. In the current study, a research team from Kumamoto University has found that restoring the function of a key heat shock response protein called HSP72 can improve glucose-related abnormalities when combined with a mild electrical stimulation.
The researchers developed a belt-type medical device that uses a special type of rubber to transmit a mild electrical stimulation and trigger heat shock at the same time. They then performed a clinical trial using the belt on 40 obese men suffering from type 2 diabetes. Results showed decreased fasting glucose levels, a loss of visceral fat, improved insulin resistance, and a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values. About half of all subjects (52.5 percent) achieved less than 7.0 percent HbA1c, a treatment goal for diabetes.
In the researcher’s next clinical trial, 60 obese patients with type 2 diabetes from both genders were given a 12-week treatment with the belt device. Trial subjects received treatments for 60 minutes each time, and were separated into three groups of 2, 4, and 7 treatments per week.
Patients showed reduced visceral fat and declines in HbA1c values, with greater reductions seen with more frequent treatments. Improvements in chronic inflammation, fatty liver markers, renal function and lipid profile were also shown. Furthermore, adding the belt treatment to a DPP-4 inhibitor, the most often used therapeutic drug for diabetes in Japan, showed an even stronger blood glucose improvement.
“This device is very easy to use since it simply attaches to the abdomen, and it has a low-impact on the patient. One can expect the effects to be similar to exercise therapy,” said Dr. Tatsuya Kondo, who led the research. “Even in patients who have difficulty exercising, such as those who are overweight, elderly, or have some form of disability, this device can be expected to provide acceptable treatment in addition to conventional diabetic medical care.”
The article can be found at: Kondo et al. (2016) Activation of Heat Shock Response to Treat Obese Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective, Frequency-Escalating, Randomized, Open-Label, Triple-Arm Trials.
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Source: Kumamoto University; Photo: Shutterstock.
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