A sedentary lifestyle is linked to a portion of complications in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.
The authors estimate that up to 10 percent of strokes, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and vision loss among patients may be related to insufficient physical activity.
The researchers combined data from nearly 2.4 million people from 27 previous medical studies conducted in different countries. Based on this, they tracked patients with diabetes’s levels of physical activity and the subsequent development of complications.
Physical inactivity was defined as the absence of at least 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate-intensity exercise includes brisk walking, slow cycling, vigorous yoga, and yard or housework. Vigorous exercise includes running, swimming on a treadmill, aerobic dancing, brisk cycling, jumping rope, and heavy yard work, such as digging or shoveling snow.
The analysis found that lack of physical activity was associated with:
- 10.2% of strokes;
- 9.7% of diabetic retinopathy;
- 7.3% of heart failure;
- up to 7% of heart disease.
Women and people with lower levels of education consistently had higher rates of diabetes complications linked to physical inactivity, the researchers said.
However, the researchers say a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work because the way people get physical activity varies by region. In wealthier countries, people are more likely to engage in sports in their free time. In contrast, in lower-income countries, physical activity is mostly work-related.