Relationship between Glucose Metabolism and Motor Functioning in General Population: A Study in Non-diabetic Adults.

Abstract

Many studies conducted in Japan and abroad have reported decreased motor function in diabetes patients, but the relationship between glucose metabolism and motor function in patients without clinical diabetes has not been reported. We investigated the association between motor function and glucose metabolism-related items in the general population, excluding diabetes patients. We divided the subjects by sex into three age groups （youngage group: 20-49 years, middle-age group: 50-64 years, old-age group : ≥ 65 years）. In the old-age group, glucose metabolism was related with balance ability in males; a relationship between balance ability, walking ability, and degree of locomotive syndrome was observed in females. In the middle-age group, glucose metabolism was related with balance ability in males; balance ability was related with walking ability in females. In the young-age group, a relationship between glucose metabolism and balance ability was observed only in males. Conversely, a significant association between muscular strength, flexibility, and glucose metabolism was not observed in any of the age groups. Our results suggest that even for individuals without clinical diabetes, implementing appropriate interventions, such as reexamining lifestyle habits and controlling blood glucose levels, can minimize motor function decline, resulting in fall prevention.