title: Pedometer-determined physical activity level and change in arterial stiffness in Type 2 diabetes over 4 years.
abstract: To explore prospectively the correlation between the level of pedometer-determined physical activity at the start of the study and the change in pulse wave velocity from baseline to 4 years later in people with Type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  
  We analysed data from 135 men and 53 women with Type 2 diabetes, aged 54-66 years. Physical activity was measured with waist-mounted pedometers on 3 consecutive days and the numbers of steps/day at baseline were classified into four groups: <5000 steps/day, 5000-7499 steps/day, 7500-9999 steps/day and ≥10 000 steps/day. Pulse wave velocity was measured using applanation tonometry over the carotid and femoral arteries at baseline and after 4 years.
  
  
  
  The mean (±sd; range) number of steps/day was 8022 (±3765; 956-20 921). The participants with the lowest level of physical activity had a more pronounced increase in the change in pulse wave velocity compared with the participants with the highest. When change in pulse wave velocity was analysed as a continuous variable and adjusted for sex, age, diabetes duration, HbA1c , BMI, systolic blood pressure, pulse wave velocity at baseline, β-blocker use, statin use, unemployment, smoking and diabetes medication, the number of steps/day at baseline was significantly associated with a less steep increase in change in pulse wave velocity (P=0.005). Every 1000 extra steps at baseline corresponded to a lower increase in change in pulse wave velocity of 0.103 m/s.
  
  
  
  We found that a high level of pedometer-determined physical activity was associated with a slower progression of arterial stiffness over 4 years in middle-aged people with Type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jennersjö
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ludvigsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Länne
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nystrom
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Östgren
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D059289:Vascular Stiffness