Exercise and Decreased Risk of NIDDM

Although the pathogenesis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is not fully understood, it is clear that at least three factors are important: a genetic predisposition to the disease; a decrease in the action of insulin in insulin-sensitive tissues, including adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and the liver; and a defect in pancreatic β-cell function.1 Conditions associated with the development of insulin resistance increase the risk of NIDDM greatly. Chief among these are obesity and advancing age. More recently, it has been recognized that hypertension may be associated with resistance to insulin and hyperinsulinemia.2 So, too, may be the increase in plasma . . .