Keep at it
Moderate exercise extends survival in overweight diabetes patients
By Nathan Seppa
SAN FRANCISCO — Modest exercise can help men live longer, even if they carry the dual health risks of excess weight and diabetes, a new study finds.
Researchers tapped into a health database to assess the survival rates of 2,690 men who had, over the past two decades, undergone a stress test at Veterans Affairs medical facilities. None had any heart problems when tested at the outset, but all had type 2 diabetes.
The score on the stress test indicates how often each man exercises. For example, a poor exercise score suggested a sedentary individual, whereas a man with a moderate score probably completed the equivalent of a brisk walk five times a week. A high score implied regular strenuous exercise such as swimming or jogging, says physician Roshney Jacob-Issac of GeorgeWashingtonUniversityHospital and the VeteransAffairsMedicalCenter in Washington, D.C.
Medical records showed that 762 of the men died during the follow-up period, which averaged seven years. Men who were normal-weight or overweight and who had a moderate exercise score were 40 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period as were similar-weight sedentary men. Obese men with a lifestyle that includes moderate exercise were half as likely to die as similar guys who didn’t exercise much.