aerobic training improves symptoms of neuropathy and quality of life in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Background: painful symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (dpn) is common in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2dm), which can reduce the quality of life. the effect of aerobic training on neuropathic symptoms and quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes with peripheral neuropathy was investigated in the present study.methods: twenty-four patients with dpn participated in this randomized controlled study. participants were randomly assigned to the experimental or control groups. the experimental group underwent exercise training consisting of 20-45 minutes aerobic training on the treadmill at 50%-70% of heart rate reserve over three months. before and after the experimental period, blood samples were taken in a fasting state, and michigan diabetic neuropathy score (mdns), monofilament test and quality of life (qol), and sleep quality (sq) questionnaires were completed. data analysis was performed using repeated-measures anova.results: in the experimental group mdns score significantly improved compared with the control condition (p < 0.05). there was a significant difference between groups regarding 10 g monofilament test score (p < 0.05). moreover, qol and sq significantly improved in the experimental group with a significant inter-group difference (p < 0.05). hemoglobin a1c (hba1c) level decreased by 7.4% in the experimental group, which was statistically different from the control group (p < 0.05). pearson’s correlation indicated a significant correlation between hba1c level and monofilament score.conclusion: regular aerobic training over a short period potentially improves symptoms of dpn and qol. lowered levels of hba1c were correlated with improved foot sensation.