Associations Between Screen Time and Glycemic Control in Adults with and without Type 2 Diabetes

The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between screen time and glycemic control, as measured by glycated hemoglobin levels, in middle-aged to older adults with and without type 2 diabetes. Adults participated in the study where screen time was subjectively measured through an 18-item screen-time questionnaire. Total sedentary time was subjectively measured using the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire. A finger stick blood draw was completed to measure HbA1c. Participants then completed a food frequency questionnaire online using the NIH Diet History Questionnaire III. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess the simple and partial associations among the variables while controlling for age, sex, and dietary carbohydrates. The majority of participants were non-Hispanic white, non-smokers and had family history of Type 2 diabetes. On average, participants spent 53% of the waking day in sedentary behavior. Significant positive correlations were found between HbA1c and total sedentary behavior, screen time and background screen time. Our participants spent large amounts of their day engaged in sedentary behavior, which is consistent with national data. Moreover, of this time spent in sedentary behavior, the majority was spent looking at a screen. Our preliminarily findings suggest that increased screen time is associated with higher HbA1c and risk of type 2 diabetes

Associations of Sedentary Behavior and Screen Time with Human Gut Microbiome Composition and Diversity

Human gut microbiome richness, diversity, and composition are associated with physical activity and impaired glycemic control; however, the associations with sedentary behavior and screen time are not as well-established. This study evaluated associations of sedentary behavior and screen time with the alpha diversity and composition of the human gut microbiome in adults with and without impaired glycemic control. Sedentary behavior and screen time data were collected via survey from 47 adults (38% with impaired glycemic control). Microbiome composition and alpha diversity were determined in fecal microbial DNA. Sedentary behavior was negatively associated with the number of observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Chao 1 Index, and Fisher’s Alpha Index. These associations were slightly attenuated but remained significant when controlling for covariates. Screen time was negatively associated with the number of observed OTUs, Shannon Index, and Fisher’s Alpha Index; however, only the association with observed OTUs was independent of all covariates. Our findings suggest sedentary behavior and screen time may be significant influencers of compositional changes in human gut microbiota. This may be a potential mechanism linking sedentary behavior and screen time to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes

High-Resolution Taxonomic Characterization Reveals Novel Human Microbial Strains with Potential as Risk Factors and Probiotics for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota is thought to play a key role in causing type 2 diabetes, yet is not fully understood, especially at the strain level. Here, we used long-read DNA sequencing technology of 16S-ITS-23S rRNA genes for high-resolution characterization of gut microbiota in the development of type 2 diabetes. Gut microbiota composition was characterized from fecal DNA from 47 participants divided into 4 cohorts based on glycemic control: normal glycemic control (healthy; n = 21), reversed prediabetes (prediabetes/healthy; n = 8), prediabetes (n = 8), or type 2 diabetes (n = 10). A total of 46 taxa were found to be possibly related to progression from healthy state to type 2 diabetes. Bacteroides coprophilus DSM 18228, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum DSM 20438, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15703 could confer resistance to glucose intolerance. On the other hand, Odoribacter laneus YIT 12061 may be pathogenic as it was found to be more abundant in type 2 diabetes participants than other cohorts. This research increases our understanding of the structural modulation of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and highlights gut microbiota strains, with the potential for targeted opportunistic pathogen control or consideration for probiotic prophylaxis and treatment