Relaxation Strategies Lower Blood SugarsFrom Diabetes News & NuggetsSome background . . .Relaxation. Well. . .If you've just read "Is stress raising your blood sugar after meals?" then you know I'm stressed by the last lottery ticket that I picked. Or rather - that they gave me. Had I picked the ticket myself then no doubt the outcome would have been different. Right. Well, onward. We've been told for years about the effects of stress on our health - including blood sugars, blood pressure, heart. Everyday stresses can apparently play a role too, not just the big stresses. Fortunately, there's been a bigger interest in devoting research to this topic of late. As a diabetes educator I'm proud to work in a regional diabetes centre with a group of professionals who appreciate the effects of stress on health. I almost wrote "who understand the effects of stress" but realized that, no, health care practitioners don't fully understand it. But we recognize it. And we offer classes and counseling to help. Why? Because of research studies like the one presented on this page. This research . . .This research from the medical journal Diabetes Care (2005, vol 28) involved people with type 2 diabetes who were randomized into 2 groups to study the effects of relaxation on blood sugars, A1c (3 month average blood sugars) and muscle tension. One group received individual sessions on "bio-feedback assisted relaxation". In English this means: using machines to tell you if you're lowering finger temperature or muscle tension while you are relaxing. They were also asked to do relaxation exercises twice daily at home with no machines. The other group (control group) received basic diabetes education in 3 individual sessions but no relaxation training. This study lasted 10 weeks. The relaxation group was followed for another 3 months after the research finished. The results . . .The group using biofeedback and relaxation experienced a significant decrease in reported blood sugar levels, A1c and muscle tension by the end of the 10 week study, BUT ALSO three months after the study had completed. The group that didn't do relaxation, but did get diabetes education, did not experience any drop in glucose levels, A1c or muscle tension by the end of the study. They were not tested 3 months after the study because at the end of the 10 weeks they were all offered - surprise - training on relaxation techniques. How much drop in blood sugars was seen?The relaxation group started with A1c levels 7.4% (mean value) and decreased to 6.8% by the end of 10 weeks and then to 6.6% by three months after the study finished. The control group started with A1c levels 7.0% (mean value) that rose slightly to 7.2% by the end of the study. REMEMBER: Research shows that people with A1c levels under 7% get less damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves. The relaxation group dropped to below 7%. BONUS: The relaxation group also exerienced a reduction in " trait anxiety". This means they were significantly less anxious when faced with stressful or perceived stressful events. (Yes, they have standardized tests for these things.) Another bonus for relaxation strategies! But . . .ALL research has "buts". These are called limitations. Some of the limitations of this study were that it included a small group of people (30); the relaxation group was seen more often than the control group; the follow-up period did not exist for the control group; follow-up for relaxation group did not exceed 3 months. What does this study mean to you?
Don't be surprised if your health care provider recommends relaxation strategies or other stress management techniques. It could benefit your diabetes, your blood sugars, your anxiety level and your risk for a heart attack. (The respected INTERHEART Study identified stress as being as bad as uncontrolled high blood pressure when it comes to causing heart attacks-regardless of what country of culture you live in). So everyone . . . Take a deep breath - and relax. (Yes, yes. I must read my own advice instead of running to the cupboard for a piece of chocolate because I'm stressed I haven't finished this webpage yet and some telemarketing company keeps calling. Take a deep breath, Bev. Breath.. . Ahh,. . . yes. It really is better than chocolate. - NOT - But relaxing is calorie free. And that is better for my blood sugars too!). Diabetes News & Nuggets is a light-hearted but informative look at diabetes research and newsworthy items. See here for more. Related: Is stress raising your sugars after meals?
Reference: McGinnis, A; Cox, S; McGrady, A; Grower-Dowling, K. Biofeedback-Assisted Relaxation in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2005, 28: 2145-2149.Reviewed: Sept, 2005 Leaving Relaxation lowers blood sugars to go to Home
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