Influence of Kidney-nourishing and Strengthening Qigong on Insulin Resistance in Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To try to find out whether Kidney-nourishing and Strengthening Qigong has curative effects in the treatment of NIDDM, and how it works.
Methods: The study was carried out in 81 subjects, including 65 NIDDM patients and 16 healthy subjects. The 65 patients were all diagnosed to be diabetic by Shanghai Shuguang hospital and the Clinic of Shanghai Research Institute of Qigong according to the WHO’s criteria for the diagnose of diabetes established in the year of 1985. In this research, 65 patients were assigned into control group(32 cases) and Qigong group(33 cases) randomly. The 65 NIDDM patients, with the average age of 55.6 years old, and the average course of diabetes 64.15 months, included 27 males and 38 females. The 16 healthy subjects, including 7 males and 9 females, with the average age of 54.3 years old, were taken as the normal group. In the course of the study, the control group was given routine medication including Chinese medicine as well, and in addition to the routine medication, Qigong group dirigated Kidney-nourishing and Strengthening Qigong twice each day, and each time 30-40 min.
Results:
1. The result of insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and pancreatic glucagon level show significant difference between the patients and the normal group.
2. Total effective rate of both groups are more than 84%, and shows no significant difference (P>0.05). Fasting glucose and pancreatic glucagon level both dropped, and also shows no significant difference (P>0.05).
3. The test results of postprandial blood sugar (PBS) and saccharified hemoglobin of Qigong group both dropped significantly compared to the control group (P<0.01). And in the Qigong group, the patients’ sensitivity index to insulin improved significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05), too.
Conclusion: Kidney-nourishing and Strengthening Qigong has remarkable blood-sugar-controlling effect, and it can help to alleviate the resistance of insulin in NIDDM patients.