In France, in 2020, it was estimated that 5.3% of the French population, or 3.5 million people, were being treated for diabetes, of which 90% had type 2 diabetes — a figure that has been steadily increasing since 2012. Diabetes is characterized by a disruption in glucose metabolism and one of the hormones responsible for its regulation, insulin, and it can be of two types: type 1 or type 2 diabetes (1). In both cases, it results in a state of chronic hyperglycemia, with numerous and potentially serious consequences for the body (1).
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by the absence of insulin production by the pancreas, due to the destruction of the cells responsible for secreting this hormone. This form of diabetes often appears in young individuals, and the lack of insulin can be easily compensated for by an exogenous supply, such as using insulin pumps or injections, for example.
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is caused by resistance of various organs to the action of insulin, also known as insulin resistance, which is the result of an unbalanced lifestyle combined with genetic predispositions. Unlike type 1 diabetes, its management is more complex and requires both medication and lifestyle changes.
Furthermore, type 2 diabetes develops gradually, making it possible to reach a prediabetic state, characterized by insulin resistance without the clinical consequences associated with type 2 diabetes.
As mentioned earlier, the causes of type 2 diabetes are multiple and combine genetic predispositions with environmental factors, including an unbalanced diet characterized by an abundance of simple carbohydrates and fats, often associated with a sedentary lifestyle and significant physical inactivity (1).
Thus, even if one has these genetic predispositions, maintaining a balanced diet combined with regular physical activity will prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. In addition, insulin resistance present in prediabetes is reversible through lifestyle changes, allowing for the prevention of this condition without the need for medication.
In fact, physical activity has numerous benefits for blood glucose regulation (2), which can be complemented by nutritional habits that avoid excessive intake of carbohydrates and fats (3).
In this context, it seems extremely relevant to be able to easily detect insulin resistance in a non-invasive way, as currently it is only possible to confirm its presence through a blood test. This limits early detection, especially in individuals who appear to be in good health and for whom blood tests are rarely or minimally prescribed.
For several years, bioimpedance analysis has been an increasingly used tool for monitoring people’s body composition, as it provides a quick, non-invasive, and low-cost assessment compared to other techniques used in hospital settings.
In addition to body composition, it also provides raw data related to hydration and the integrity of cell membranes, with the most commonly used parameter being the phase angle.
Indeed, it has been shown that this parameter is linked, among other things, to individuals’ general health status or their risk of developing chronic diseases (4), making it a powerful tool for monitoring individuals.
When using multifrequency devices, it is also possible to obtain the impedance ratio, which is related to the overall level of inflammation (5).
Among these data, capacitance is a value obtained from a measurement taken by a spectroscopy device and serves as an indirect marker of the state of the cell membrane and its capacity to store electrical charge.
This parameter reflects the health of cell membranes, whose integrity is essential for the proper functioning of cells, particularly in nutrient transport and waste elimination processes.
Recent studies have shown that capacitance decreases in individuals with insulin resistance and that this parameter could be a useful tool to detect this issue even before the clinical symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear (6).
Therefore, measuring capacitance could offer a non-invasive, quick, and simple way to detect insulin resistance and thus prevent the development of type 2 diabetes through early lifestyle interventions.
References
- Galicia-Garcia U, Benito-Vicente A, Jebari S, Larrea-Sebal A, Siddiqi H, Uribe KB, et al. Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 30 août 2020;21(17):6275.
- Mul JD, Stanford KI, Hirshman MF, Goodyear LJ. Exercise and Regulation of Carbohydrate Metabolism. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;135:17‑37.
- Forouhi NG. Embracing complexity: making sense of diet, nutrition, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 14 févr 2023;66(5):786.
- Bellido D, García-García C, Talluri A, Lukaski HC, García-Almeida JM. Future lines of research on phase angle: Strengths and limitations. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 12 avr 2023;1‑21.
- Tapasco-Tapasco LO, Gonzalez-Correa CA, Letourneur A. Phase angle and impedance ratio as meta-inflammation biomarkers after a colon cleansing protocol in a group of overweight young women. Physiol Meas. mai 2024;45(5):055021.
- Garr Barry V, Chiang JL, Bowman KG, Johnson KD, Gower BA. Bioimpedance-Derived Membrane Capacitance: Clinically Relevant Sources of Variability, Precision, and Reliability. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 30 déc 2022;20(1):686.
- Barry VG, Peterson CM, Gower BA. Membrane Capacitance from A Bioimpedance Approach: Associations with Insulin Resistance in Relatively Healthy Adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). nov 2020;28(11):2184‑91.
