Pedersen · European journal of clinical investigation 2017 · Narrative review · n=?

Anti-inflammatory effects of exercise: role in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Cited 609 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review describing biological mechanisms without systematic search methods or primary data

PubMed 28722106 · doi:10.1111/eci.12781 · record verified 2026-08-30

What was done

This narrative review summarizes mechanistic pathways linking exercise-induced cytokine release to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. The abstract does not report systematic search methods or study selection criteria.

What was found

No quantitative data or effect sizes are provided in the abstract. Mechanistically, IL-1beta is described as involved in pancreatic beta-cell damage, and TNF-alpha in peripheral insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. Exercise triggers increases in IL-6 and IL-10, inhibiting TNF-alpha and stimulating IL-1ra to limit IL-1beta signaling. Muscle-derived IL-6 is described as directly improving glucose tolerance, with additional indirect anti-inflammatory benefits mediated by exercise-induced changes in body composition.

Why it matters

It outlines the cytokine pathways through which acute and chronic physical activity may counteract chronic inflammation in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Limits

The abstract describes a narrative overview without primary clinical data, quantitative effect estimates, systematic review methodology, or details on specific exercise types and doses.

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