The Use of Active Videogames in the Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus in the Elderly: An Integrative Review

To analyze the use of active videogames (AVGs)in the non-pharmacological treatment of elderly with type 2diabetes mellitus. Material and Methods: This was anintegrative review based on searches in the followingdatabases: Bireme, PubMed, Science Direct and Web ofKnowledge, using the descriptors and terms: “exergames”,“exercise games”, “video game”, “virtual reality”, “diabetesmellitus” and “ glycosylated hemoglobin”. Results: A total of415 articles were selected after initial reading of title andabstract. Of these, 411 articles were excluded for not meetingthe inclusion criteria. Four studies were considered eligiblefor the second phase of this review, of which two wereexcluded because they were duplicates. We observed thatintervention with AVGs for 10-12 weeks providesimprovements in physical fitness and glycosylated hemoglobinlevels in elderly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion:There was a small number of publications addressing theuse of active videogames for the treatment of type 2 diabetesmellitus. However, active videogames have shown positiveeffects in the non-pharmacological treatment of such diseaseas they contribute to decreased levels of glycosylatedhemoglobin as well as to significant improvements in physicalfitness after a 10-week minimum intervention period...