Walking decreased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in older adults with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the association of walking with mortality in persons with type 2 diabetes compared to those with normal glucose tolerance.


METHODS
This prospective study included community-dwelling adults from the Rancho Bernardo Study aged 50-90 years in 1984-86 who had type 2 diabetes (n=347) or normal glucose tolerance (n=1,317). During the 10-year follow up, Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to model time until death from all causes (n=538), coronary heart disease (CHD, n=143), other cardiovascular disease (non-CHD CVD, n=138), and other causes (n=257) while adjusting for multiple potential confounders.


RESULTS
After adjusting for sex, age, smoking, body mass index, alcohol, exercise, history of CHD, and other covariates, adults with diabetes who walked > or =1 mile per day were half as likely to die from all causes combined (hazard ratio [HR]=0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33, 0.88), and less than one-fifth as likely to die from non-CHD CVD (HR=0.19; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.86) compared to adults with diabetes who did not walk. Walking was also protective among adults with normal glucose tolerance (HR=0.55; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.96).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest walking > or =1 mile per day may provide strong protection from all-cause and non-CHD CVD mortality in older adults with diabetes.
Smith
Tyler C
TC
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0607, La Jolla, CA 92093-0607, USA.
Wingard
Deborah L
DL
Smith
Besa
B
Kritz-Silverstein
Donna
D
Barrett-Connor
Elizabeth
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000401:mortality; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000401:mortality; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides