Problem

Newly diagnosed diabetic patients regularly arrive in the emergency ward with very high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). In Europe and North America these patients are primarily treated with insulin and are often hospitalized.

 

Solution

This project proposes exercise as an acute treatment for hyperglycemia followed by an intensive lifestyle intervention with weekly coaching sessions.
At the University Hospital of Basel, if the general condition of these patients allows, we put them on a bicycle and ask them to exercise. This is a pioneering study in Switzerland and worldwide. This "acute lifestyle intervention" immediately improves blood sugar levels and in the following days, patients receive intensive outpatient care. In most cases, blood sugar levels normalize without medication. And importantly, this acute intervention leaves a lasting educational impression on patients that sport is the best medicine for them. Several patients have been successfully treated using this approach, however this procedure must be systematically tested and consolidated.

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Who

The study is being conducted at the University of Basel in collaboration with the Cantonal Hospital of Olten and the Hôpital du Jura. We hope that this study will enable us to introduce this simple but promising therapy as common practice.

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This project will be conducted in the clinical research team directed by Prof. Marc Donath at the clinic for endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism at the University Hospital Basel. The team is made of Prof. Donath who will ensure the successful development of the project and his team members:

Dr. Matthias Hepprich (senior physician),

Dr. Justus Fischer (MD-PhD doctoral fellow), Susanne Ruesch (head study nurse),

Corinna Aebischer (study nurse).

 

(Principal Investigation: Prof. Marc Donath; University of Basel; Switzerland)