Personal Activity Intelligence e-Health Program in People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes (T2D) management requires effective physical activity (PA) self-management strategies.
• Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) is a novel metric using heart rate to guide PA for reduced mortality risk.
• The PAI score aims for a weekly target of ≥100 to indicate sufficient PA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the PAI e-Health Program for individuals with T2D.
• To assess if the PAI e-Health Program helps T2D patients meet PA guidelines and improve health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week randomized controlled trial involving 30 participants with T2D not meeting PA guidelines.
• Intervention group received a PAI e-Health Program (heart rate monitor, app, exercise/counseling sessions).
• Control group received PA attention control; outcomes measured included glycemic control, fitness, body composition, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• PAI e-Health Program participants achieved a mean PAI score of 119.7, reaching ≥100 PAI on 56.4% of days.
• 80% of participants intended to continue PAI monitoring post-intervention.
• Significant improvements were observed in exercise capacity, sleep time, and reductions in total and gynoid body fat compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• The PAI e-Health Program demonstrates feasibility and acceptability in the T2D population.
• The program is efficacious, leading to significant improvements in key health parameters for individuals with T2D.
• PAI monitoring offers a promising digital health tool for T2D self-management and improved health outcomes.