Effect of electrical stimulation on blood glucose level and lipid profile of sedentary type 2 diabetic patients

Background: Physical exercise has emerged as a major tool in the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus, but a large diabetic population is not physically fit for regular exercise programme due to associated complications of diabetes and old age. This unique study is an attempt to explore the use of electrical stimulation as a method of treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. Aims: This study was designed to analyze the effects of electrical stimulation on blood glucose level, lipid profile, and physiological parameters of sedentary type 2 diabetic patients. Settings: This study was experimental in nature with different subject design. Materials and Methods: The experimental group (N = 20) underwent electrical stimulation through surface electrodes placed over motor points of quadriceps femoris muscles for 40 min/day, 3 days/week continued for 2 weeks. Twenty diabetic subjects who received placebo treatment served as the control group. Physiological parameters were measured, and blood samples taken both before and after treatment on the first day and the last day of the intervention in both groups. Statistical Analysis: Related and unrelated t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Results and Conclusion: The percentage change in blood glucose level scores of the experimental group (12.71) was much higher as compared to the control group (4.06) after a single session of treatment. Following 2 weeks of electrical stimulation, the blood glucose level was significantly (t = 5.026, P = 0.001) reduced in experimental group, but there was an insignificant fall in the same for the control group. Our results suggest that electrical stimulation can be used to assist in the control of blood glucose level in type 2 diabetic patients.