Wearable mobile health technology could help people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) to stick to exercise regimes that help them to keep the condition under control, a new study reveals.
An international team including Lancaster University studied the behaviour of recently-diagnosed T2D patients in Canada and the UK as they followed a home-based physical activity programme, with some participants wearing a smartwatch paired with a health app on their smartphone.
The 'Mobile Health Biometrics to Enhance Exercise and Physical Activity Adherence in Type 2 Diabetes (MOTIVATE-T2D) feasibility trial recruited participants aged 40-75 years, diagnosed with T2D within the previous 5-24 months and managing their condition through lifestyle modification alone or Metformin.
They discovered that MOTIVATE-T2D participants were more likely to start and maintain purposeful exercise at if they had the support of wearable technology. The study successfully recruited 125 participants with an 82% retention rate after 12 months.
Publishing their findings in BMJ Open, researchers reveal a range of potential clinical benefits among participants including improvements in blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure.
Professor Céu Mateus, Professor of Health Economics at Lancaster University, led the economic evaluation of this intervention in terms of its costs and benefits in comparison with the alternative.
She said: "The results of this study can contribute to change the lives of many people around the world. There are millions of people suffering from Diabetes type 2 without access to non-pharmacological interventions with sustained results in the long term. Our study shows that independently of the place where you live, your age, your ethnicity, your gender, or your income, there is an exercise programme that suits you.
"In a time where savings to health services budgets are of paramount importance, non-pharmacological interventions contributing to improve equity in access by patients are very valuable for society."
Co-author Dr Katie Hesketh, from the University of Birmingham, said: "We found that using biometrics from wearable technologies offered great promise for encouraging people with newly diagnosed T2D to maintain a home-delivered, personalised exercise programme with all the associated health benefits."
Researchers found that, as well as the encouraging data for blood sugar and systolic blood pressure, the programme could help to lower cholesterol and improve quality of life.
The programme saw participants gradually increasing purposeful exercise of moderate-to-vigorous intensity - aiming for a target of 150 minutes per week by the end of 6 months and supported by an exercise specialist-led behavioural counselling service delivered virtually.
MOTIVATE-T2D used biofeedback and data sharing to support the development of personalised physical activity programmes. Wearable technologies included a smartwatch, featuring a 3D accelerometer and optical heart rate monitor, synced with an online coaching platform for the exercise specialist and web/smartphone app for participants.
Dr Hesketh said: "The programme offered a variety of workouts, including cardio and strength training, that could be done without the need for a gym. Its goal is to make exercise a sustainable part of daily life for people with Type 2 Diabetes, ultimately improving their physical and mental health."
