Sunday, in a presentation at the society annual meeting in Boston, Dutch researchers explained that the result of a new study shows people with an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism could be in risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even when thyroid hormone levels are in a normal range.
The study of the Dr. Layal Chaker’s team lasted 8 years and tracked about 8,500 participants averaging 65 years old. At the end, 1,100 of the patients developed prediabetes and 798 developed full-blown diabetes.
The researchers discovered that type 2 diabetes could increase by 13 percent because of the low thyroid function, and the risk is higher, of 40 percent, for people who has an underactive thyroid.
Chaker said that they didn’t expect that even people with a low-normal thyroid function are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well. “Future studies should investigate whether screening for and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism [mildly low thyroid function] is beneficial in subjects at risk of developing diabetes,” he explained.
Chaker and his team considered the results of their study as a new medical input, but Dr. Minisha Soo, director of inpatient diabetes at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, claimed that for him it wasn’t a surprise at all. He explained that there’s evidence that proves that thyroid function can indeed boost insulin resistance.
According to experts, the studies presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until they’re published in a peer-reviewed journal.
How to handle type 2 diabetes
According to studies presented at ENDO 2016 –the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society held in Boston earlier this month –exercising and the following diet can decrease glucose spikes.
A team of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, lead a group of participants, aged 65 to 85, through a routine of 90 minutes of aerobics and resistance exercise classes three times a week and a diet class once a week. After six months, the results of the research revealed weight loss and fitness improvement.
Another study proved that including a large breakfast rich in whey proteins, a medium-sized lunch, and a small dinner is more satisfying, help to lose weight and lowered the glucose spikes and the levels of HbA1C.
Source: UPI