SGH, NUS research reveals how magnets can help patients with type 2 diabetes

The treatment mimics the effects of exercise without the physical strains.

Researchers from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that using pulsed electromagnetic fields to stimulate muscle tissue and mimic the effects of exercise could benefit patients with type 2 diabetes with excess belly fat.

The non-invasive treatment, known as magnetic mitohormesis, activates the same metabolic pathways that exercise would normally trigger. This mimics endurance exercise and may improve glucose control, without the physical strains of exercise.

“We (doctors) often tell patients with diabetes to exercise because it helps control blood sugar, but we found that most people (over eight out of 10 in our study) do not exercise regularly. Many of our patients cannot do so easily due to age, health problems, or other barriers. This treatment could give similar benefits to exercise without having to work out physically”, said Dr Tan Hong Chang, Senior Consultant, Department of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital, and the study’s senior author.

The exploratory study involving 40 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes was conducted at SGH from June 2023 to January 2024. During each visit, each patient’s leg is placed into a special chamber device that delivers a gentle magnetic field to stimulate the leg muscles for 10 minutes. This treatment continued weekly over 12 weeks, and none of the participants experienced any side effects.

Whilst there was no significant improvement in diabetes control for all participants, researchers discovered a differential response in patients with excess belly fat or central obesity.

Nearly 90% of patients in this group experienced improved blood glucose control, and their HbA1c, a key indicator of diabetes control, decreased significantly from 7.5% to 7.1% over 3 months. The researchers believe patients with central obesity may respond better because they tend to have muscles that have poorer cellular function and harmful fats in their blood.

Since this magnetic treatment works by gently “exercising” the muscles at a cellular level, people with cells that are more “out of shape” have more room for improvement.

This research represents a significant step towards personalised diabetes care, particularly for the growing population of patients with type 2 diabetes who struggle with conventional exercise recommendations. However, while these initial results are promising, larger, randomised controlled trials are needed before the treatment can be widely implemented.

SGH and NUS researchers are looking at future studies that will focus on determining optimal treatment duration and frequency and identifying which patient profiles benefit most.