A groundbreaking study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine has revealed that short-term lifestyle modifications, such as reduced physical activity and increased sugar intake, can affect the response of blood vessels to insulin.
Remarkably, the study found that men and women reacted differently to these changes.
What is Vascular Insulin Resistance?
Vascular insulin resistance is a characteristic often observed in individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes. It significantly contributes to vascular diseases like cardiovascular disorders.
Study Design and Participants
Researchers led by Camila Manrique-Acevedo, MD, examined 36 healthy, young men and women.
The study involved exposing the participants to reduced physical activity, lowering their step counts from 10,000 to 5,000 steps per day, for 10 days. Additionally, participants were instructed to consume six cans of sugary soda each day.
Findings
While it’s known that premenopausal women generally have lower incidence rates of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease compared to men, the study aimed to examine gender-specific reactions to sudden lifestyle changes. The study found that:
Only in men did the 10-day period of a sedentary lifestyle and high sugar intake result in decreased insulin-stimulated leg blood flow.
There was also a decline in a protein called “adropin” in men, a critical biomarker for cardiovascular diseases that also plays a role in regulating insulin sensitivity.
Significance and Future Research
This research represents the first evidence to suggest that short-term poor lifestyle choices can lead to vascular insulin resistance in humans.
Furthermore, it is the first study to document gender differences in the development of vascular insulin resistance, specifically in relation to changes in adropin levels.
Manrique-Acevedo plans to investigate how long it takes to reverse these vascular and metabolic changes.
She is also interested in a more comprehensive evaluation of the role of gender in the development of vascular insulin resistance.
The study was published in the scientific journal Endocrinology.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about exercise that is vital to improving longevity in older people, and this dieting method could help increase longevity.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death, and results showing this type of exercise may slow down bone aging.
The research findings can be found in Endorcinology.
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