Physical
Activity Can Reduce CVD Risk & Mortality
in Diabetic Men
Physical activity is vastly underutilized in the
management of diabetes.
Physical activity can lower the risk of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and total mortality in men with type
2 diabetes, according to the results of a study published
online in the April 28th rapid access edition Circulation.
Dr. Mihaela Tanasescu, of Touro University International,
Cypress, California, and colleagues examined the
association between physical activity and the risk
of CVD and mortality in 2803 men enrolled in the
Health Professionals' Follow-up Study. All of the
men were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age
30 years or older. The researchers assessed
the subjects'
physical activity level every 2 years.
Over 14 years of follow-up, 266 new cases of
CVD and 355 all-cause deaths were reported.
The researchers
used Cox proportional hazards analysis to estimate
relative risks of CVD and death.
"
The multivariate relative risks of CVD incidence
corresponding to quintiles of total physical activity
were 1.0, 0.87, 0.64, 0.72, and 0.67 (p for trend
= 0.07)," Dr. Tanasescu and colleagues report. "The
corresponding multivariate relative risks for total
mortality were 1.0, 0.80, 0.57, 0.58, and 0.58 (p
= 0.005)."
The investigators observed an association between
walking and a reduced risk of total mortality.
The multivariate relative risks corresponding
to quintiles
of walking were 1.0, 0.97, 0.87, 0.97, and
0.57 (p for trend = 0.002). There was an inverse
association
between walking pace and CVD, fatal CVD, and
total mortality.
These findings "add evidence that physical activity
reduces cardiovascular mortality in those with existing
diabetes, " Dr. Jonathan Myers of the VA Palo
Alto Health Care System in California and colleagues
note in an accompanying editorial.
"
Despite the scientific evidence and the organizational
efforts, these messages have not reached the public," they
add. "Physical activity is vastly underutilized
in the management of diabetes, and the majority of
individuals remain sedentary or do too little exercise
to achieve health benefits." Circulation 2003;107:000-000
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DID YOU KNOW: One in seven California adults
suffers from or is at significant risk for
diabetes, according
to a large-scale study released April 30,
2003, by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
The findings,
put California ahead of national diabetes
rates
for every population segment under 65 years
of age.
