title: Metabolic effects of 2 days of strict bed rest.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the possibility of whether 2 days of strict hospitalized bed rest would alter the metabolic profile (including insulin resistance as calculated by the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index or QUICKI) in both normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison with 2 days of normal activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design of this pilot study was a randomized, crossover protocol that evaluated the effects of strict bed rest versus normal activity in 5 healthy normal subjects and 5 healthy patients with type 2 diabetes. All study participants completed a screening visit for assessment of baseline health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 10 study subjects completed the protocol without adverse events. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels as well as several known risk factors for atherosclerosis were unchanged in both the subjects without diabetes and the patients with type 2 diabetes after 2 days of hospitalized bed rest. Insulin resistance demonstrated no significant change during the 48 hours of bed rest when compared with the mean value at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that 48 hours of bed rest has no significant effect on insulin resistance or standard metabolic variables in normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, achieving good glucose control in patients hospitalized for a period of 2 days or less does not necessitate early ambulation to prevent an increase in insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duran-Valdez
authors.forename: Daniela Gonzalez
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: de Serna
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burge
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Schade