Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction/Aim: The incidence of type 2 diabetes in Belarus continues to grow. Alongside with the standard treatment search for the new methods of intervention still continued. Whole body cryotherapy appears to be a promising method of metabolic correction. Study aim was the estimation of various low-temperature regimen influence on biochemical parameters and BMI characteristics of patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes and selection the optimal low-temperature intervention routine.

Methods: A target group — adult patients with diagnostically proven type 2 diabetes, or metabolic syndrome were selected for the study. The protocol of low temperature influence supposed two regimens — intensive (10 procedures 2 times a week) and mild (10 procedures, once a week) whole body cryotherapy. Alongside, a standard treatment intervention was performed without additional modification: life-style correction, diet correction, medication agents — metformin + glycemia lowering drugs if required, in standard dosages. Anthropometry for BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and blood samples for biochemical and cytokine parameters were measured before the beginning of the intervention and 3 months after the entrance to the research. The protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee and informed consent was received in all participating patients.

Results: A group of 51 patients volunteered to take part in the study. Average age was 34±7.4 years (M±SD), BMI in all patients was in the range between 26.5 – 30.2 kg/m², glicated hemoglobin varied from 5.8 to 6.1% and in type 2 patients exceeded 6.2%. In 2 months after the cryotherapy course, both intensive and mild, patients with type 2 diabetes showed significant imrovement of glycaemic levels (6.2±0.75 mmol/l for mild and 5.6±1.32 mmol/l for intensive cryo-treatment) and non-significant reduction of HbA1c. Leptin levels were reduced more effectively, compared to initial findings, in a prolonged cryo-treatment (24.97±12.8 ng/ml) vs. intensive – 28.3±22.04 ng/ml. Metabolic syndrome patients have had a similar protective shift of leptin levels in case of more intensive, but not prolonged treatment.

Conclusion: Whole body cryotherapy showed to be an effective additional method for compliance improvement in all groups of patients, being especially effective in metabolic syndrome group, helping patients to improve biochemical parameters and reduce the weight gain with the short, but high intensity of influence, while mild cryo helped type 2 patients to reduce average glycemic and leptin levels. A long-term effect of the single short term intervention still requires further observation.