Abe Tomokazu, Miura Kousei, Saito Tsuyoshi, Kayanoma Naoki, Furukawa Yuuma, Yasunaga Yoshihiro, Yamazaki Masashi, Kusunoki Masataka
Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, JPN.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 15;17(8):e90140. doi: 10.7759/cureus.90140. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Exercise therapy is essential for diabetes management, but adherence remains challenging for many patients. The hybrid assistive limb (HAL) lumbar type is a wearable robot that has shown effectiveness in various conditions, yet its application in diabetes patients has not been investigated.
To evaluate the feasibility and safety of exercise therapy using the HAL lumbar type for patients with diabetes and to exploratorily investigate its effects on physical function and metabolic parameters.
This pilot, prospective, single-arm study included nine patients with diabetes (mean age: 69.00±13.23 years). Participants underwent an exercise program using the HAL lumbar type, consisting of eight sessions of 60 minutes each. The program included stretching, squatting, and walking exercises, performed 1-2 times per week, with the goal of completion within 4 to 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the Sit-To-Stand test (STS test). Secondary outcomes included changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and metabolic parameters.
All participants completed the intervention without adverse events. Significant improvements were observed in the STS test (15.86±3.87 to 10.43±2.27 seconds, p<0.005), body weight (72.68±15.73 to 70.71±15.15 kg, p<0.05), and lipid metabolism parameters including total cholesterol (200.11±32.85 to 182.67±21.45 mg/dL, p<0.05) and LDL cholesterol (114.00±28.51 to 101.56±24.52 mg/dL, p<0.005).
Exercise therapy using the HAL lumbar type was safely implemented in diabetes patients and showed potential benefits in improving physical function and lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that HAL-assisted exercise therapy might be a promising new approach for diabetes management.
运动疗法对糖尿病管理至关重要，但许多患者的依从性仍然具有挑战性。混合辅助肢体（HAL）腰部型是一种可穿戴机器人，已在各种情况下显示出有效性，但其在糖尿病患者中的应用尚未得到研究。
评估使用HAL腰部型对糖尿病患者进行运动疗法的可行性和安全性，并探索性地研究其对身体功能和代谢参数的影响。
这项前瞻性单臂试点研究纳入了9名糖尿病患者（平均年龄：69.00±13.23岁）。参与者接受了使用HAL腰部型的运动计划，包括每次60分钟，共8节课程。该计划包括伸展、下蹲和步行练习，每周进行1-2次，目标是在4至8周内完成。主要结果是坐立试验（STS试验）。次要结果包括体重、体重指数（BMI）和代谢参数的变化。
所有参与者均完成干预，无不良事件发生。在STS试验（从15.86±3.87秒至10.43±2.27秒，p<0.005）、体重（从72.68±15.73千克至70.71±15.15千克，p<0.05）以及脂质代谢参数包括总胆固醇（从200.11±32.85毫克/分升至182.67±21.45毫克/分升，p<0.05）和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（从114.00±28.51毫克/分升至101.56±24.52毫克/分升，p<0.005）方面观察到显著改善。
使用HAL腰部型的运动疗法在糖尿病患者中安全实施，并在改善身体功能和脂质代谢方面显示出潜在益处。这些发现表明，HAL辅助运动疗法可能是糖尿病管理的一种有前景的新方法。
