title: The combined effect of leisure-time physical activity and diabetes on cardiovascular mortality: the Nord-Trondelag Health (HUNT) cohort study, Norway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine if leisure-time physical activity could cancel out the adverse effect of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study prospectively examined the combined effect of clinical diabetes and reported leisure-time physical activity on cardiovascular mortality. Data on 53,587 Norwegian men and women participating in the population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study (1995-1997) were linked with the Cause of Death Registry at Statistics Norway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 1,716 people died of cardiovascular disease during follow-up through 2008. Compared with the reference group of 3,077 physically inactive people without diabetes, 121 inactive people with diabetes had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.81 (95% CI 1.93-4.07). The HR (95% CI) among people who reported ≥3 h of light activity per week was 0.89 (0.48-1.63) if they had diabetes (n = 403) and 0.78 (0.63-0.96) if they did not (n = 17,714). Analyses stratified by total activity level showed a gradually weaker association of diabetes with mortality with increasing activity level (P(interaction) = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that even modest physical activity may cancel out the adverse impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. borge.moe@svt.ntnu.no
authors.forename: Børge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moe
authors.forename: Eivin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eilertsen
authors.forename: Tom I L
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Nilsen
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009664:Norway; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies