Dose-Response Relationship Between Physical Activity and the Morbidity and Mortality of Cardiovascular Disease Among Individuals With Diabetes: Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Abstract

Background Diabetes, a chronic condition affecting various organs, is frequently associated with abnormal lipid metabolism, notably increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These lipid abnormalities are closely linked to the development and advancement of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although regular physical activity (PA) has consistently shown benefits in reducing CVD risk in the general population, its precise influence on CVD risk among patients with diabetes remains uncertain, particularly regarding dose-response relationships. Objective This study aimed to summarize the evidence from prospective studies on the association between PA and CVD morbidity and mortality in individuals with diabetes and explore the optimal levels for public health recommendation. Methods We systematically reviewed prospective cohort studies in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to December 2022, with inclusion criteria specifying the studies published in English and included adult participants diagnosed with diabetes. A random effects model was used to pool the relative risk (RR) with the corresponding 95% CI comparing the highest with the lowest PA categories in each study for qualitative evaluation. In addition, linear and spline regression analyses were used to estimate dose-response associations. Results The meta-analysis included 12 prospective cohort studies, involving a total of 109,820 participants with diabetes. The combined results revealed that higher levels of PA were associated with a reduced risk of CVD. The RR of CVD for the highest compared with the lowest PA category was 0.62 (95% CI 0.51-0.73). In addition, there were 4 studies describing leisure-time PA, and the pooled RR was 0.68 (95% CI 0.52-0.83) for the highest versus the lowest activity. The linear regression model revealed that each 10 MET (metabolic equivalent of task)-hours per week of incrementally higher PA was associated with a 19% (95% CI 11.6-25.7) and a 6.9% (95% CI 4.5-9.3) reduction in CVD morbidity and mortality. Additionally, spline regression curves showed nonlinear relationships between PA levels and the risk of CVD and CVD mortality (both Pnonlinearity<.001), with a limited reduction in CVD risk and some further reduction in CVD mortality above 20 MET-hours per week of PA levels. Conclusions For patients with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, there was a dose-response relationship between increased PA and reduced risk of CVD morbidity and mortality. The observed PA threshold is consistent with the recommended level for the general population. Gradually moving from inactivity to a guideline-recommended PA level could therefore significantly reduce the burden of CVD in patients with diabetes.