Acute mild cold exposure with shivering reduces 24 h glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes but not prediabetes
Primary result · Mean 24 h glucoseResult — go to the resultChange −0.6 mmol/lAuthors' conclusion
Acute mild cold exposure with shivering reduced 24 h glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. No changes were observed in prediabetes.
Study context
- Population
- Men and postmenopausal women with prediabetes or stable T2D, aged 40–75 years, BMI ≥27 and ≤35 kg/m², non-smoking, sedentary; South Limburg/Maastricht, Netherlandscrossover · postmenopausal women with prediabetes 12 · or stable T2D 12
- Comparison
- Mild (15°C) vs moderate (4°C) whole-body cold exposure with shivering, each vs pre-intervention
- Primary endpoint
- Mean 24 h interstitial glucose by CGM before vs after each cold exposure
- Follow-up
- Mean 24 h
Methodological detailsparticipant-masked, 2 cold exposure intensities, Session order randomised online; participants masked to cold intensity, investigators not, Controlled diet and activity; shivering confirmed by indirect calorimetry and electromyography
- Participant-masked
- 2 cold exposure intensities
- Session order randomised online; participants masked to cold intensity, investigators not
- Controlled diet and activity; shivering confirmed by indirect calorimetry and electromyography
Primary result
Mean 24 h glucose · 24 h after exposure vs before
Change
−0.6 mmol/l
P = 0.003
As reported in the abstract
Further findings
RMR in final 1 h of cold (× RMR)
| Outcome | Estimate | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting glucose, T2D, mild coldMild cold (T2D) vs Before exposure · ± 0.8 | change −0.6 mmol/l | P = 0.019 |
| Time in normal range, T2D, mild coldMild cold (T2D) vs Before exposure · ± 10.3% | change +8.8 % | P = 0.013 |
| Time in hyperglycaemia, T2D, mild coldMild cold (T2D) vs Before exposure · ± 12.9% | change −10.9 % | P = 0.014 |
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR) in final 1 h of cold (× RMR) — RMR increased significantly vs baseline in both groups and periods
- p<0.001 for all
Predictors of glucose-lowering response
- Baseline fasting glucose, age and ALT levels were predictors of the glucose-lowering response
Original publication
Acute mild cold exposure with shivering reduces 24 h glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes but not prediabetes. Diabetologia. Published 20 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →