Clinical effect of real time pulse rate monitoring with a portable pulsimeter on physical exercise therapy for male patients with type 2 diabetes

In patients with type 2 diabetes, it is recommended that exercise therapy is performed using heart rate as an index of exercise intensity. This study was designed to clinically evaluate whether continuous exercise therapy with a portable pulsimeter for self-monitoring of the pulse rate influences glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. We randomly assigned 23 male patients to a pulse displayed group (in which the portable pulsimeter displayed a pulse rate) or a pulse non-displayed group (in which the portable pulsimeter only recorded the data and did not display a pulse rate). The patients then received exercise therapy for 1 month. Patients in the pulse displayed group were instructed to regulate their walking speed by maintaining their portable pulsimeter in the target pulse rate zone, whereas patients in the pulse non-displayed group were instructed to regulate their walking speed while taking their pulse rate and using the Borg scale to maintain the target pulse rate zone using the conventional method. We found the mean walking time within the target pulse rate zone during exercise therapy was significantly increased in the pulse displayed group ( p < 0.01). Similarly, glycoalbumin and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol improved significantly in the pulse displayed group after 1 month of exercise therapy ( p < 0.01, respectively). Our results suggest that this therapeutic device might be useful for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.