Proteinuria modifies the effects of physical activity on total and cardiovascular disease mortality rates in patients with type 2 diabetes

• Published in: Diabetologia 2010-09, Vol.53 (9), p.1886-1889
• Main Authors: Vepsäläinen, T, Soinio, M, Lehto, S, Juutilainen, A, Laakso, M, Rönnemaa, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angina pectoris; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Exercise; Female; Heart attacks; Hospitals; Human Physiology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Mortality; Motor Activity - physiology; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; physical activity; Physical fitness; Proportional Hazards Models; Proteinuria - complications; Questionnaires; Short Communication; Stroke; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland
• ISSN: 0012-186X; 1432-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s00125-010-1812-y

Aims/hypothesis Physical activity reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality rates in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, it is not known whether or not the effects of physical activity on mortality rates depend on the presence of proteinuria in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods We prospectively followed up 577 patients with type 2 diabetes who were aged 45 to 64 years and were free of CVD at baseline. Participants were stratified according to the presence of proteinuria (≤300 or >300 mg/l) and the degree of physical activity (0-4 metabolic equivalent tasks [MET] or >4 MET). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the association of physical activity and proteinuria with risk of mortality. Results During the 18-year follow-up, 356 patients died, of whom 217 died from CVD. Physically more active patients had significantly reduced total, CVD and CHD mortality rates if they did not have proteinuria. In contrast, physically active proteinuric patients had significantly increased total and CVD mortality rates (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.00-3.36, p=0.049) in univariate analyses, with HR 2.43 (95% CI 1.09-5.40, p=0.030) in multivariate analyses. Conclusions/interpretation Physical activity reduces total and CVD mortality rates in type 2 diabetic patients without proteinuria. However, in proteinuric patients, no protective effect was observed. Larger studies are needed to confirm the latter finding and to define which exercise intensity leads to possible harmful effects.