Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
12 August 2015 09:54
Young teens could beat the odds of getting diabetes with regular exercise
Exercise during teenage years could reduce the risk of diabetes in later life, research suggests.
Scientists at the University of Exeter have found that physical activity provides the greatest benefits to adolescent insulin resistance - a precursor to type 2 diabetes - but it is only effective in the early teenage years.
Exercise made a difference at age 13, yet had no impact on insulin resistance by the age of 16.
Common condition
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
It affects 3.9 million people in the UK, with an estimated 590,000 people not yet diagnosed.
Like with other conditions, early diagnosis is key. It can get progressively worse if left untreated.
But a diagnosis does not mean life has to stop. Diabetes travel insurance can offer peace of mind to those heading abroad on overseas trips.
Future interventions
The researchers measured insulin resistance in the same 300 children every year from the age of nine through to 16 by using accelerometers, also known as electronic motion sensors, worn around the child's waist.
Type 2 diabetes was 17% lower in the more active adolescents at the age of 13, independently of body fat levels.
But over the next three years the difference shortened until it disappeared completely at 16.
The team recommend that teens should be specifically targeted for reducing diabetes levels.
Dr Brad Metcalf, of the University of Exeter's School of Sport and Health Science, says the findings could have implications for future interventions addressing the insulin resistance of children.
He claims lessening the demand on the cells that produce insulin during the early teenage years may preserve them for longer in later life.
The journal Diabetologia published the latest findings.
23 September 2016
Theresa May is being urged to give the go-ahead for flights to resume between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh by the head of the cross-party parliamentary group on Egypt.
[more...]
22 September 2016
Budget airline Jet2.com is to open its first base in the south of England at Stansted.
21 September 2016
Smoking rates have dropped to the lowest level on record in England, new figures show, suggesting messages about the health effects of cigarettes are hitting home.
20 September 2016
Concerns have been raised over flight disruptions caused by heavy drinking among passengers.
17 September 2016
British Airways' decision to launch direct flights from London to Tehran earlier this month positions Iran as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2017, according to experts.
16 September 2016
More than 100 flights have been cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike again.
15 September 2016
Two thirds of MPs would support an expansion at Heathrow.
14 September 2016
TripAdvisor is launching a new homepage, making the booking of holiday activities and tours even easier.
13 September 2016
Travellers are to be charged to use fast lanes to get through passport checks in an attempt to cut queues.
09 September 2016
People travelling to regions affected by the Zika virus outbreak should practise safe sex for at least half a year upon their return, health leaders say.
08 September 2016
British Airways is apologising to passengers for delays after an IT glitch hit check-in systems.
07 September 2016
Tiny particles that are breathed in and taken into the brain through air pollution could trigger Alzheimer's disease, research finds.