Physical Activity and Proliferative Retinopathy in People Diagnosed With Diabetes Before Age 30 Yr

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationships of past and current physical activity to the prevalence of PDR. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Individuals diagnosed with diabetes < 30 yr of age (n = 818), who were participants in the population-based Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy, were examined during 1984–1986. Stereoscopic fundus photographs were graded for presence of PDR. Physical activity was assessed by an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. RESULTS Women diagnosed with diabetes < 14 yr of age who reported a history of participation in team sports in high school or college were less likely to have PDR at examination (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23, 0.93). Those women who reported current strenuous activity levels were less likely to have PDR (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13, 0.87). There were no significant associations between past or current physical activity and PDR in men. Current levels of energy expenditure were not related to PDR in either sex. CONCLUSIONS Higher levels of physical activity may be associated with a reduced risk of having PDR in women. However, the lack of similar findings in men suggests that physical activity may be a relatively unimportant factor in the etiology of PDR.