Regular Walking Decreases Morbidity
Rates by 50% in Diabetics
Walking just 30-45 minutes a day reduces
Mortality by 50%!
Walking for at least two hours per week appears
to lower the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular
disease (CVD) mortality by 34 to 39%, according
to the findings of a large prospective cohort
study.
Walking is known to reduce the incidence of diabetes,
but few studies have examined whether it reduces
mortality among those who already have diabetes.
Edward W. Gregg, PhD, with the National Center
for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta,
Georgia, United States, and colleagues conducted
a study of 2896 adults, aged 18 years and older
with diabetes, who formed a representative sample
of the US population.
Over an 8-year period, those who walked at least
2 hours per week had a 39% lower all-cause mortality
rate and a 34% lower CVD mortality rate compared
with inactive individuals, they found.
The mortality rates were lowest for persons who
walked 3 to 4 hours per week and for those who
reported that their walking involved moderate
increases in heart and breathing rates. These
individuals obtained more than a 50% decrease
in mortality rate.
They note that 1 death per year may be preventable
for every 61 people who could be persuaded to
walk at least 2 hours per week.
"The protective association of physical
activity was observed for persons of varying sex,
age, race, body mass index, diabetes duration,
comorbid conditions, and physical limitations,"
the researchers report.
According to the Dr. Gregg and colleagues, exercise
could lengthen the life of people with diabetes
in several ways, including by influencing lipoprotein
cholesterol levels, decreasing blood pressure
and insulin levels, and increasing cardiorespiratory
fitness.
"Overall the findings support
current recommendations that brisk walking on
a regular basis is a key health behavior for persons
with type 2 diabetes," they conclude. Arch
Intern Med 2003;163:1440-1447.
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