Leisure time exercise linked to reduced mortality in T1DM

(HealthDay)—For patients with type 1 diabetes, including those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 16 in Diabetes Care.

Heidi Tikkanen-Dolenc, M.D., from the Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics in Finland, and colleagues conducted a prospective study involving 2,639 patients with type 1 diabetes, 310 of whom had CKD. Participants were followed for a mean of 11.4±3.5 years, during which time LTPA was assessed with a validated self-report questionnaire.

The researchers identified 270 deaths during follow-up. Even after adjustment for potential confounding variables, there were correlations for LTPA and all its components with all-cause mortality. After adjustment for confounders, only exercise intensity was correlated with cardiovascular mortality. Of the 310 patients with CKD, 127 died during follow-up. After adjustment for confounders, the total amount of LTPA and exercise frequency were independently associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality.

"Exercise is associated with a lower risk of premature all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 1 diabetes," the authors write. "This study also demonstrates that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of mortality in patients with type 1 diabetes and CKD."

One author disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Novo Nordisk, which partially funded the study.