Cycling Is Associated with Lower Risk for Death in People with Diabetes

Diabetes is associated with excess risk for premature all-cause and cardiovascular-related death. In this prospective cohort study, European researchers determined the associations between weekly outdoor bicycling minutes (and changes in cycling time) and death in 7500 adults with diabetes (mean age, 56; mean body-mass index, 29 kg/m²; mean diabetes duration, 8 years).

After a mean follow-up of 15 years, 1700 deaths had occurred, of which 800 were cardiac related. Adjusted for multiple variables, cycling was associated with 20% to 30% lower all-cause mortality across a range of cycling times from 1 hour to >5 hours weekly. A subset of 5400 participants completed a second examination (4 years after the first examination) to determine effects …