If you have type 2 diabetes, you need to pay attention to your muscle health.
Recent research has shown that people with type 2 diabetes may suffer from increased muscle loss and worse muscle functions. This can be reflected in weak handgrips.
Although the reason why type 2 diabetes is linked to muscle loss is unclear, scientists think that it may be due to the influence of diabetes on patients’ physical activity, diet and insulin resistance.
If type 2 diabetes patients have reduced muscle functions, they may not be able to perform hand activities well in daily life.
One recent study checked the hand infections in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers examined the medical records of 17 people with diabetes. All people went to clinics because they had some kinds of hand infections.
The average age of all the patients was 62 years, and their HbA1C was about 8.
The team found that the most common causes of hand infections were injury during saw and hammer use in 5 patients (29.4%) and injury due to inappropriate nail cutting in 3 patients (17.6 %).
Nine people had operations to treat their hand injuries, but none of them underwent any major amputations or died.
The research team also looked at 32 previous studies with 704 patients’ data. The average age of the patients in these studies was 53 years, and about 84% of them had type 2 diabetes.
They already had their disease for about 4 years and the mean HbA1C was 10.58.
Based on the results, the researchers suggest that diabetic hand injuries often happen when patients use hand tools.
These hand tools can include hammers, saws, and knives. Patients may also hurt their hands when cutting finger nails.
For hand injuries, it is better to use conservative treatment rather than amputation. Of course the most important thing is to ask for advice from health care professionals.
One important way reduce hand infections in type 2 diabetes patients is to have strong hand muscles.
A recent study shows that in diabetes patients who take modest daily physical activity, the handgrip strength is not linked to type 2 diabetes.
The researchers assume that physical activity, even at a modest level, can help prevent muscle loss and control type 2 diabetes.
So, if you want to protect your hands from infections and injuries, try to take more exercise.
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