Physician step prescription and monitoring to improve ARTERial health (SMARTER): A randomized controlled trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension

Physician step prescription and monitoring to improve ARTERial health (SMARTER): A randomized controlled trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension

AIMS

There are few proven strategies to enhance physical activity and cardiometabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. We examined the effects of physician-delivered step count prescriptions and monitoring.

METHODS

Participants randomized to the active arm were provided with pedometers and they recorded step counts. Over a 1-year period, their physicians reviewed their records and provided a written step count prescription at each clinic visit. The overall goal was a 3000 steps/day increase over 1 year (individualized rate of increase). Control arm participants were advised to engage in physical activity 30 to 60 min/day. We evaluated effects on step counts, carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV, primary) and other cardiometabolic indicators including haemoglobin A1c in diabetes (henceforth abbreviated as A1c) and Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in participants not receiving insulin therapy.

RESULTS

A total of 79% completed final evaluations (275/347; mean age, 60 years; SD, 11). Over 66% of participants had type 2 diabetes and over 90% had hypertension. There was a net 20% increase in steps/day in active vs control arm participants (1190; 95% CI, 550-1840). Changes in cfPWV were inconclusive; active vs control arm participants with type 2 diabetes experienced a decrease in A1c (-0.38%; 95% CI, -0.69 to -0.06). HOMA-IR also declined in the active arm vs the control arm (ie, assessed in all participants not treated with insulin; -0.96; 95% CI, -1.72 to -0.21).

CONCLUSIONS

A simple physician-delivered step count prescription strategy incorporated into routine clinical practice led to a net 20% increase in step counts; however, this was below the 3000 steps/day targeted increment. While conclusive effects on cfPWV were not observed, there were improvements in both A1c and insulin sensitivity. Future studies will evaluate an amplified intervention to increase impact.

Low Levels of Usual Physical Activity Are Associated with Higher 24 h Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between usual physical activity and 24 h blood pressure (BP) profile in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). This is a cross-sectional study of 151 participants with type 2 DM. Usual physical activity was assessed by step counting and self-reported questionnaire. BP was measured in office and by 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM; 24 h, daytime and nighttime). Mean participant age was 61.1 ± 8.4 years, 64% was women, and mean duration of diabetes was 14.3 ± 8.5 years. Ninety-two percent of participants had hypertension, and office BP was 138 ± 18/78 ± 10 mmHg. Inverse correlations were observed between step count and 24 h BP (systolic, r = -0.186; p = 0.022), daytime BP (systolic, r = -0.198; p = 0.015), and nighttime BP (pulse pressure, r = -0.190; p = 0.019). People were categorized into tertiles of daily step count, and the 1st tertile had higher 24 h systolic BP, daytime systolic BP, daytime mean BP, and daytime systolic BP load than those in the other tertiles, even after adjusting for age and HbA1c. Participants with type 2 DM and low levels of physical activity exhibit higher 24 h and daytime systolic ambulatory BP values as compared with those who performed more steps per day, even after adjustments for confounding factors.