How has PBM been studied in diabetes and metabolism?
32 papers: 11 original human studies, five reviews including systematic or scoping syntheses and 16 recent animal or cell studies.
Europe PMC MED and PMC title and abstract results were screened individually. Human studies have no lower year limit; animal and cell studies require first publication from 2024 onward. Direct glucose, metabolic, insulin signaling and diabetic muscle function measures were included. Wound, retinal and neuropathy only studies were assigned outside this topic. Groups are ordered by first publication date, newest first. This inventory does not guarantee complete literature coverage.
Checked 2026-10-29 · 462 records searched
Randomized human trials4
A randomized crossover study exposed 16 women with obesity and 16 normal weight women to PBM and sham conditions, measuring resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry before and after 12 minute exposures.
Nutrients · 2025 · PMID 41228430
A randomized double blind crossover study tested six conditions combining three 830 nm PBM doses with or without medication in ten patients with type 2 diabetes, measuring glucose and heart rate variability up to 12 hours after a standardized meal.
J Biophotonics · 2023 · PMID 37171054
A randomized study assigned 63 volunteers with type 2 diabetes to control, sham, red, infrared or combined LED groups, applying light to the legs for three days and reassessing ankle strength, timed up and go and six minute walking.
Lasers Med Sci · 2021 · PMID 32862403
A randomized study assigned 80 patients with diabetes and chronic periodontitis to basic periodontal care alone or with low level laser, measuring blood HbA1c, fasting glucose and gingival fluid inflammatory markers at baseline and three months.
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue · 2018 · PMID 30899947
Other comparative human studies3
Thirty patients with type 2 diabetes and periodontitis were divided into two groups of 15 receiving root planing alone or with six low level laser sessions, assessing blood HbA1c, gingival fluid TNF alpha and periodontal measures at baseline, three and six months.
Indian J Dent Res · 2025 · PMID 40439210
A single subject comparison in one nondiabetic woman with a family history of diabetes compared radial artery PBM with an unexposed period, measuring interstitial glucose every five minutes after standardized meals.
Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg · 2021 · PMID 34619056
Forty nine women with obesity were divided into 808 nm light or sham groups after exercise, with three weekly sessions over four months and measurements of body composition, lipids, insulin resistance and circulating adipose related markers.
Lasers Med Sci · 2018 · PMID 29473115
Human studies and cases without a control group4
A single arm pilot applied 660, 850 and 940 nm LEDs bilaterally to the skull in seven patients with type 2 diabetes three times weekly for four weeks, measuring fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, C peptide and lipids.
Life (Basel) · 2026 · PMID 42795278
A single arm study applied red light PBM over the radial artery in patients with type 2 diabetes taking metformin, recording capillary glucose, fasting glucose and HbA1c over six weeks. Participant count was not stated in the abstract.
Lasers Surg Med · 2026 · PMID 42619222
A case report of one 59 year old man with type 2 diabetes and mild Alzheimer disease recorded HbA1c, insulin resistance, lipids and cognition during ten weeks of combined ketogenic nutrition and transcranial PBM.
Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther · 2020 · PMID 32305654
A before and after study in 13 patients with type 2 diabetes used 630 nm intravenous laser exposure for 30 minutes, examining blood cell arginase and EGFR expression by flow cytometry.
Lasers Med Sci · 2016 · PMID 27406711
Reviews, systematic and scoping reviews5
A systematic review synthesized PBM trials in type 2 diabetes addressing fasting and postprandial glucose and HbA1c, with PEDro and GRADE assessments. Study and participant counts were not stated in the abstract.
Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg · 2026 · PMID 41858223
A systematic review searched five databases for randomized PBM trials in adults with type 2 diabetes, narratively synthesizing glycemic, inflammatory and neurological measures and pooling periodontal measures. Study and participant counts were not stated in the abstract.
Int J Mol Sci · 2025 · PMID 41516314
A meta-analysis of six randomized trials involving 319 patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis extracted glucose, HbA1c, inflammatory and periodontal measures for scaling and root planing with or without PBM.
Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg · 2026 · PMID 41467963
A systematic review selected 13 laser studies in diabetic periodontitis addressing glycemic and periodontal assessments. It included other lasers such as Er:YAG and Nd:YAG alongside low level lasers.
Indian J Dent Res · 2025 · PMID 41863036
A review examined preclinical and clinical PBM literature and 87 diabetes trial registrations, describing glycemic and complication measures. The 5,837 planned PBM participants in registrations are distinct from completed participant counts.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · 2024 · PMID 38567306
Animal and cell studies from 202416
RAW264.7 macrophages exposed to high glucose and LPS received 720 nm PBM, 10 Hz pulsed electromagnetic fields or both, with metabolic activity, nitrite, cytokine transcripts and ROS assessed over 48 hours. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Int J Radiat Biol · 2026 · PMID 42726645
Isolated mouse islets were cultured outside the body and exposed to PBM daily for seven days, with fluorescence imaging and functional assays assessing insulin expression and secretion. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
J Biophotonics · 2026 · PMID 42760903
Adipose derived stem cells in insulin producing cell induction medium received 525 or 825 nm PBM alone or combined, with ATP, LDH, viability and cell staining assessed at 24 hours, five days and ten days. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Cell Biol Int · 2026 · PMID 42376894
Four groups of diabetic and nondiabetic rats were compared with or without combined respiratory muscle training and PBM, assessing blood, plasma and organ oxidative and antioxidant markers after six weeks. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Acta Diabetol · 2026 · PMID 42348006
Four groups of male mice exposed to intermittent hypoxia or normal oxygen were compared with or without 630 nm PBM using insulin tolerance tests, signaling proteins and oxidative markers in liver, muscle and fat. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Compr Physiol · 2026 · PMID 42216497
An experiment began with 50 rats with diabetes and heart failure and analyzed 30, comparing eight weeks of aerobic exercise with or without 850 nm PBM using fasting glucose, cardiac function and oxidative markers.
J Diabetes Metab Disord · 2026 · PMID 41988509
Macrophages under high glucose and diabetic mice received 980 nm PBM, insulin or both. ATP and LDH assays, protein analyses and tissue imaging assessed metabolism and periodontal tissue. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Lasers Med Sci · 2026 · PMID 41766015
MIN6 cells and isolated islets under nutrient deprivation or inflammatory cytokines received 670 nm PBM at different times, with viability, insulin secretion, mitochondrial function and ATP and ADP measured. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Acta Diabetol · 2026 · PMID 41212213
Fifteen rats were allocated to normal, diabetic and diabetic plus 850 nm LED groups of five. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of liver biopsies analyzed glucose, glycogen, lipid and acetate signals.
Lasers Med Sci · 2025 · PMID 40844641
3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured under high glucose received PBM, with MTT, lipid staining, glucose assays and qRT-PCR used to examine viability, lipid accumulation and gene expression. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim · 2025 · PMID 40437150
Mice fed standard or cafeteria diets received whole body PBM at 660 nm, 850 nm or both wavelengths at two doses, with insulin resistance and blood lipids assessed. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Photochem Photobiol · 2025 · PMID 39555993
MIN6 cells and rat islets received 670 nm light from five seconds to multiple days, assessing viability, insulin secretion, ATP and respiration. Irradiation before islet transplantation in diabetic rats was also compared. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Sci Rep · 2024 · PMID 39505966
Male rats were assigned to a healthy control group and three heart failure and diabetes groups with exercise and PBM conditions, using western blotting after eight weeks to measure skeletal muscle autophagy, apoptosis and survival related proteins. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg · 2024 · PMID 39441652
Male mice on a high fat diet underwent two volumes of strength training with or without 660 and 850 nm PBM. Insulin resistance, adiposity, circulating cytokines and muscle mitochondrial activity were measured. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
J Biophotonics · 2024 · PMID 39419755
C2C12 muscle cells with fatty acid induced insulin resistance received three doses of combined 660 and 850 nm PBM or sham exposure, with Akt and JNK phosphorylation, citrate synthase and mitofusin assessed. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Biochem Biophys Rep · 2024 · PMID 39398538
Diabetic mice with periodontitis received 810 nm PBM every three days for two weeks, with tissue imaging and protein analyses examining GLUT1 and mTOR pathways and senescence associated secretory markers. Sample count was not stated in the abstract.
Lasers Med Sci · 2024 · PMID 38236306
Excluded 430 of 462 records: Narrative review or selection criteria not established: 58; Wound or skin endpoints only: 97; Neuropathy endpoints only: 25; Protocol without completed data: 14; Not original research or a structured review: 3; Oral or periodontal endpoints only: 27; Renal endpoints only: 1; Animal or cell study before 2024: 166; Review of preclinical studies only: 3; No direct metabolic or muscle function assessment: 13; Light or laser method other than PBM: 4; Retinal or ocular endpoints only: 11; No abstract: 7; Same title and abstract republished: 1.
View the search query
TITLE_ABS:(photobiomodulation OR PBMT OR "low level laser" OR "low level light" OR "red light therapy") AND TITLE_ABS:(diabet* OR "insulin resistance" OR "insulin sensitivity" OR glycem* OR glycaem* OR "islet secretion") AND (SRC:MED OR SRC:PMC) AND FIRST_PDATE:[* TO 2026-10-29]
Search Europe PMCFrequently asked questions
Which metabolic measures were examined?
Measures include glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance, lipids, resting energy expenditure and muscle function. Cell and animal experiments also examined ATP, insulin secretion and signaling proteins.
How many human and experimental papers are listed?
There are 11 original human studies, five reviews including systematic or scoping syntheses and 16 animal or cell studies from 2024 onward. Paper counts differ from independent trial and participant counts.
Were the light delivery methods the same?
Methods include LEDs over muscle, skin or skull, transcutaneous radial artery exposure, intravenous exposure and cell experiments. Combined exercise, nutrition and medication protocols are identified in each entry.