[Metabolic and cardiovascular effects of physical activity, exercise and fitness in patients with type 2 diabetes].

Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Chronic hyperglycemia is the clinical manifestation of diabetes and evolves through a multifactorial etiology of genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors. In the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance of the liver, skeletal muscle and fat as well as the inability of insulin secreting beta-cells to fully compensate for this insulin resistance are the central pathophysiological events. There are several lines of scientific evidence demonstrating a role of physical inactivity in the etiology and beneficial effects of exercise in both prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and its related morbidity. This review is focussing on recent studies that have examined the effects of increased physical activity and fitness on metabolic and cardiovascular parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes.