Study using technology to improve health, fitness worthwhile to participants

When Janet Boot, of RR 4 Clinton, decided to join a joint study by Gateway Rural Health Research Institute and the Lawson Research Institute, she thought she was in pretty good shape.

While she met the criteria of having two of four risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood glucose levels or being overweight, Boot says she was participating more to support the community than because of any serious health concerns.

But, within days of beginning the study, she found out that her blood glucose levels were very high - so high that she and the doctors monitoring her data agreed that a visit to the emergency department was in order.

And, there she found out that she had Type 2 diabetes.

"I had no idea. Looking back, I realize now I had some of the symptoms but I blamed other pressures in my life. But, the study helped me get a good handle on it. It helped me gain control of my own health," she says.

The DaTA (Diabetes and Technology for Increased Activity) study looked at 25 people in the Huron County area who were at risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The goal was to use technology - a Blackberry, blood pressure and glucometer devices with Bluetooth technology and a pedometer - to see if awareness of a person's health statistics and an increase in daily physical activity could reduce the risk of developing disease.

It was also a pilot of a larger study scheduled to begin in the fall that will study close to 100 people who live about a half hour from Seaforth for a year with the same risk factors using the same technology.

Elizabeth Russell-Minda, research coordinator with the Lawson Institute, says the pilot study saw health improvements in the majority of participants with improved fitness levels.

"Many felt it improved their lives in some way. It raised awareness to see their heart rate, blood glucose levels and blood pressure and they said the access to technology changed their behaviour. They could see everything on their Blackberrys," she says.

Participants were asked to use their pedometers to walk 10,000 steps a day but Russell-Minda says most didn't achieve that level but did improve all the same.

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"The average was 4,500 steps at the start and 8,500 at the end which indicates better fitness," she says adding that some people lost weight.

"During an eight-week intervention, we aren't going to see huge, off-the-charts gains but it was great to see the gains people made," she says.

While diet changes were not part of the study, participants reported noticing a relationship between what they ate and their blood glucose levels, which ended up influencing how they ate.

Maureen and Merv Agar, of Egmondville, say they really enjoyed participating in the study.

"It's the best physical you'll ever have," says Merv, adding that the constant monitoring of his health statistics gave him confidence that he's healthy.

With diabetes in Merv's family history and heart attacks on Maureen's side of the family, the two say they were interested in learning how to take more responsibility for their health.

"The first line of defence for your health is yourself. I have responsibility for what I put in my mouth. A lot of people spend more time and money looking after their cars than they do themselves," says Maureen.

While she says walking 10,000 steps a day was at first intimidating, Maureen says it became a competition between her and Merv to walk the furthest each day.

They discovered that walking a five-mile block in the country or golfing 18 holes was close to 10,000 steps. And, Maureen admits, laughing, that she was able to cheat with her shorter legs and a shuffle she sometimes used to increase the steps on her pedometer.

The Agars say they both lost some weight during the study and Maureen improved her health enough to be able to stop using her blood pressure medication and acid reflux pills.

While they travelled to Florida during the study, they found that the technology was easy to bring along.

"I would recommend this study to anyone. I challenge the people of Seaforth to do this and make Seaforth a healthier place," says Maureen.

Both the Agars want to participate in the year-long study.

Kathy Ferguson, of Goderich, says the pedometer became her best friend during the study.

"It got me motivated to get going each day and my fitness level went up," she says.

With diabetes that is controlled by diet, Ferguson says being monitored daily became a journey of self-motivation and provided her with reassurance between doctor appointments.

"I had to make the effort to put it in my day and it gave me more energy," she says, adding that she ended up going to the gym to strengthen her knees, which helped her walk more often.

Ferguson says it was great to be able to take advantage of the study in a rural community.

Boot agrees that the study has helped her change her lifestyle, something she's found difficult in a rural community.

"I live in the country and I don't like walking. But, I'm doing a lot of biking now and when I go into town, I park and walk everywhere instead of parking right in front of the store or the bank. The pedometer tells you if you were a couch potato that day," she says.

She says being monitored each day made her accountable for her activity to someone else, something that added to her motivation.

"To me, it was a lifeline. And, it was very good timing (learning that she had diabetes). I'm very blessed," she says.

Boot also wants to continue with the year-long study and is hoping it will help her change her lifestyle permanently.

"Now, I set the time aside to look after myself and the study keeps me on track. For someone else, being on the study might catch high blood pressure, another silent problem you can walk around with," she says.

The year-long Artemis (A multi-centre, prospective, Randomized study To determine the effects of Exercise Managed Intervention) study is looking for men and women aged 18-70 to participate. Anyone interested is asked to call 519-685-4292, ext. 42629 for more information.

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