Engaging in Weekly Exercise Could Lower Chronic Kidney Disease Risk for Obese Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Clocking up high weekly levels of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity is linked to a lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease in overweight/obese people with type 2 diabetes, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Boosting the weekly tally by just over an hour is linked to a 33% reduction in risk, with the effects apparent for bouts lasting above or below 10 minutes at a time, the findings indicate.

The study points out that diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, and diabetes plus chronic kidney disease is associated with a significant increase in the risk of death from any cause compared with diabetes alone.

Short-term evidence shows that exercise can improve kidney function in people with type 2 diabetes, but the long-term benefits and whether they are cumulative or dependent on session length are not clear, according to the researchers.

The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of data from the US Look AHEAD trial, which involved overweight/obese adults with type 2 diabetes. The participants’ physical activity levels were measured over the course of the study to assess the potential impact on progression to chronic kidney disease.

During an average monitoring period of 12 years, a significant number of participants progressed to chronic kidney disease. Those who engaged in the most physical activity every week were less likely to progress to chronic kidney disease than those engaging in the least activity.

Overall, a higher cumulative weekly average of physical activity was associated with a lower risk of progression to chronic kidney disease. Increasing the weekly tally by at least an hour over the course of the study was linked to a 33% lower risk.

The observational study cannot establish causation, and the researchers note that the study participants were highly motivated, which may impact the generalizability of the findings.

The researchers recommend overweight/obese adults with type 2 diabetes engage in at least an hour of moderate intensity activity every day to reduce their risk of progression to chronic kidney disease.