When untreated, diabetes has devastating effects on the body's essential organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, and eyes. Bone and muscular health are also known to be negatively impacted by diabetes. If your blood sugar levels are consistently high, your bones will be more fragile and more likely to break if you experience trauma. The risk of hip fracture is seven times higher for patients with diabetes (both Type 1 and Type 2) compared to the general population.

Therefore, it is crucial for people with diabetes to take excellent care of their bone and muscle health to avoid the musculoskeletal discomforts that long-term, uncontrolled diabetes may cause.

What Role Does Diabetes Play in the Deterioration Of Bone Tissue?

Bone restoration is an ongoing process in the human body. However, people with diabetes and low insulin levels have impaired bone and muscle health because these factors impede the creation of new bone. Other contributors to compromised skeletal health include:

• Insulin-like growth factor-1 secretion decreases (IGF-1)
• Lack of calcium being absorbed by the body
• Oxidative stress has increased
• Glycation, the process by which sugar molecules bond to proteins and lipids, has increased.
• Excessive calcium loss

Diabetes increases the risk of bone diseases because it weakens the nerves (diabetic neuropathy), may damage eyesight, and disrupts the natural systems that produce and maintain bone density and strength.

Diabetic Bone Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management

Patients with diabetes must take the following preventative measures to reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis and other bone diseases:

• Their blood sugar levels must be closely monitored

The management of blood sugar levels is a constant priority for people with diabetes. This may help them avoid nerve damage, circulation issues, and muscle loss that can all contribute to bone weakening and a much-elevated risk of bone associated illnesses.

• Maintain a balanced and nutritious diet

As a result of diabetes, calcium absorption is diminished. People with diabetes need to eat foods high in calcium and vitamin D (because vitamin D aids in calcium absorption) to maintain strong bones. You should fill your plate with foods that help bone health, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat dairy products. Milk, cheese, eggs, fish, nuts, legumes, and dark leafy greens are all essential components of a healthy diet for diabetics.

• Develop a routine of frequent physical activity

In addition to lowering HbA1c (average blood sugar) levels, regular exercise has been shown to increase bone density in people with diabetes. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, increasing stamina, improving bone density, and decreasing the risk of diabetes-induced muscle disorders can all be accomplished through weight-bearing and strength training exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, squatting, pushing, pulling, and lifting weights.

• Adapt their way of life

The risk of bone loss in people with diabetes is enhanced by unhealthy lifestyle choices, including smoking and excessive alcohol use. The danger of developing osteoporosis is much increased in smokers because their bodies are unable to absorb as much calcium from their diet. Therefore, patients with diabetes who want to enhance their bone health should adopt a healthier way of life.

• Do frequent checks on bones

A bone density test is recommended at regular intervals for those with long-standing or uncontrolled diabetes. It may aid in the early diagnosis of osteoporosis and other bone-related problems, allowing treatment to begin before mobility is compromised.

Common Bone Illnesses in People with Diabetes

People with diabetes are at increased risk for developing several bone diseases:

• Osteoporosis:

A severe lack of bone strength caused by insufficient mineralization

• Osteoarthritis:

Deterioration of the cartilage that lines the joints

• Charcot joint syndrome:

Diabetes-related nerve degeneration (neuropathy) causes numbness and loss of feeling in the limbs, leading to joint deterioration.

• Idiopathic hyperostosis:

Subsequent stiffening of the ligaments and tendons attaching to the spine may cause pain and difficulty moving in the back and neck.

• Rheumatic shoulder:

Limitations in shoulder motion, discomfort, and sometimes oedema.

How Can I Improve My Bone Health Via Exercise?

Exercising on a regular basis may help patients with impaired blood glucose lower their HbA1c levels (three-month average blood sugar levels). While physical activity can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels, some are better for their bones than others. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Performing workouts that put your body under the force of gravity:

Working against gravity is a key component of many exercises, including walking, running, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. These routines boost insulin sensitivity, extend energy reserves, fortify bones, and lessen the danger of cardiovascular illness.

• Perform a series of resistance exercises:

Stronger muscles and bones result from resistance training exercises, including squats, lunges, deadlifts, pull-ups, and push-ups.

• Cardiovascular training:

Bone density is increased when the body's muscles are strengthened, and aerobic sports like Zumba, swimming, and water aerobatics do just that. Aerobic exercise boosts insulin synthesis in the body in a similar manner.

Takeaway

Regular exercise has many positive effects on health. It aids in weight control, helps reduce LDL and triglyceride levels, fortifies bones, and lifts spirits. Exercise has also been shown to reduce insulin resistance by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing insulin absorption.

Diabetic individuals should consult with an endocrinologist to ascertain their risk for bone disease and fractures and to learn about options for enhancing their bone health.