It’s not very often that diabetes and inflammation get mentioned in the same sentence. Usually, phrases like high blood sugar, poor circulation, immune system problems, and nerve damage are linked to diabetes and the complications that can arise from having the disease. But in recent health news, researchers are now saying that other than monitoring blood sugar levels, the next best thing someone with diabetes can do is to reduce levels of inflammation. Why the link?
A research team from Washington University School of Medicine noted that type 2 diabetes is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, and this inflammation, they say, increases the risk for various adverse health outcomes. For this reason, they set out to investigate the association between C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for systemic inflammation, and lifestyle factors. For this study, they chose a national sample of people with type 2 diabetes.
The study analyzed data from 1,086 men and women with diabetes. Specifically, the researchers looked at lifestyle factors that included diet quality, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and physical activity.
The research team found that, for both men and women, BMI was a strong predictor of elevated CRP. However, among men, but not among women, the likelihood of elevated CRP increased with lower diet quality and physical inactivity. The researchers concluded that among people with type 2 diabetes, higher levels of CRP were associated with lower diet quality and physical inactivity among men, and with obesity among both men and women.
In order to protect yourself against further health symptoms and complications, follow the advice of this clinical trial and do what you can to reduce levels of inflammation in your body. That means getting some exercise and eating a healthy diet. These two lifestyle factors alone can help you to keep your weight in check. By staving off weight gain, you can put the brakes on CRP and lower the amount of disease-causing inflammation in your body.
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