Work-Time Physical Activity Can Reduce Mortality in Diabetic

Physical activity on the job had as big an effect as leisure-time workouts in reducing deaths from heart disease among patients with Type 2 diabetes. The amount of work-related physical activity among patients with type 2 diabetes is inversely related to the risk of total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, new research indicates.

Previous reports have linked high levels of leisure-time physical activity with decreased total and CVD mortality in diabetics. However, the association with work-time physical activity was unclear.

To investigate, Dr. Gang Hu, from the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 3316 subjects with type 2 diabetes who were followed for a mean of 18.4 years.

During follow-up, 1410 subjects died, including 903 from CVD, the researchers note in the July 27th rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Work-time physical activity appeared to have a beneficial effect on CVD. Compared with subjects who sat at a desk most of the day, subjects engaged in heavy manual labor were 40% less likely to die from any cause or from CVD in particular (p < 0.001 for both). Subjects with jobs involving walking and standing, but no heavy labor had mortality risks that fell between those of desk sitters and manual laborers. Regular physical activity may reduce CVD and death among patients with diabetes several ways. For instance, regular exercise is associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control and other heart disease risk factors. Commuting to work is a major source of physical activity in some populations and it can be implemented at little expense, the researchers said. More than 90 percent of workers walk or cycle to and from work each day in urban China, as did more than 40 percent of those in this study. Subjects with jobs involving walking and standing, but no heavy labor had mortality risks that fell between those with desk jobs and manual laborers. “We have provided evidence that not only leisure time physical activity but also occupational activity and daily walking or cycling to and from work are important components of a healthy lifestyle among diabetic patients,” the authors conclude. In agreement with previous research, the risk of total and CVD mortality decreased as leisure-time physical activity increased (p < 0.005 for both). “We have provided evidence that not only leisure time physical activity but also occupational activity and daily walking or cycling to and from work are important components of a healthy lifestyle among diabetic patients,” the authors conclude. Circulation 2004;110:000-000. Editor’s note: The American Heart Association’s program The Heart Of Diabetes: Understanding Insulin Resistance is a FREE 12-month program that informs people about the association between cardiovascular disease, diabetes and insulin resistance. People with type 2 diabetes are encouraged to control their heart disease risk through physical activity, nutrition and cholesterol management. To register for the program, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org/diabetes.

Learn about the First Step Program, a program to increase physical activity, that has gone through 8 years of clinical studies to show it’s effectiveness. www.firststepprogram.com

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