A recent study conducted by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University has discovered that adults with diabetes who exercise according to guidelines can lower their risk of premature death regardless of the number of hours spent sitting per day. This is the first study to demonstrate that regular exercise can reverse the risks of sitting for long periods, particularly in individuals with diabetes. The results of this study were published in the journal Diabetes Care.
Diabetes is on the rise, and diabetic patients suffering from the disease have been shown to lead a sedentary lifestyle, thus enhancing the risk of their death from several causes. Existing research has laid the link between prolonged sitting and increased risk of death among the general population, but this study establishes the significance of exercise to help diabetics overcome such risk.
Researchers employed data on adults with diabetes from the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Patients were followed until 2019 to track the mortality rate. The study obtained information on sitting time, activity, demographics, lifestyle, and diseases through interview.
Physical activity status was categorized into three separate groups: inactive (<10 minutes/week), insufficiently active (10-149 minutes/week), and active (≥150 minutes/week). Interestingly, 38% of the subjects were completely inactive and did physical exercise for less than 10 minutes a week. Those who did not meet the minimum guideline recommendations for physical activity faced an increased risk of death due to all causes. During a period of approximately six years, there were 1,278 deaths among participants with diabetes from all causes, of which 354 were from heart disease. The average age of participants was 60, and almost half were women and 61% were non-Hispanic white. The majority were of lower education and approximately 12% were not insured by health insurance.
The scientists emphasized the necessity of the regular encouragement of physical exercise as an essential component of diabetes treatment. This is especially important for people working in jobs that involve many hours of sitting, i.e., office work and driving. Although there is no doubt about many hours of sitting time, regular exercise can counteract the health effects of diabetes.
Source: medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-linked-mortality-adults-diabetes.html
