Pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-1 beta is associated with cardiovascular fitness in sedentary diabetic patients

To determine the relationship of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) to cardiovascular fitness and lipid profile in type II diabetic. Fasting blood samples were collected in 38 sedentary adult men with type II diabetic (age 38 ± 5 years, body mass index: 31 ± 3 Kg). After overnight fast in order to measuring IL-1b and lipid profile as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low and high density lipoprotein (LDL, HDL). Maxima oxygen consumption was measured by a stepwise incremental bicycle test. Pearson correlations were used to establish the relationship between variables. Serum IL-1β concentration was negatively related to VO2max and positively related with TC, TG, LDL and resting heart rate (p < 0.05). Fasting serum IL-1b was not correlated with HDL (p = 0.214). In conclusion, our data demonstrate a relationship between cardiovascular fitness and systemic inflammation in diabetic patients. These finding suggests a sedentary lifestyle and low cardiovascular fitness is associated with increased IL-1β and systemic inflammation.