Exercise Cuts Diabetics’ Heart, Stroke Risk

People with diabetes who exercise more often may reduce their risk of heart and blood vessel disease and death, a new study finds. The study included nearly 15,000 people. All were part of a Swedish registry of people with type 2 diabetes. Their average age was 60. They did not have heart disease at the start of the study. People with diabetes are known to have higher than average risks of heart attack and stroke. Researchers asked people how often they exercised for at least 30 minutes at a time. They were divided into “low-activity” (2 or fewer times a week) and “high-activity” groups (at least 3 times a week). Researchers kept track of them for 5 years. In that time, people with high activity were 25% less likely to develop heart and blood vessel disease or have a heart attack or stroke. People in the low-activity group were 70% more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke.