Physical inactivity behind 13% of heart failure cases among diabetics: Study

New Delhi: Over 13 per cent of heart failure cases among people living with diabetes in India could be linked to physical inactivity, a global study has estimated.

The findings, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, also show that 9.6 per cent of coronary heart disease and 9.4 per cent of cardiovascular complication cases among people living with diabetes in India could be attributed to lack of physical activity.

Globally, one in ten cases of macrovascular (large blood vessel) complications and retinopathy in people with diabetes is due to physical inactivity, researchers said.

“Diabetes complications are often seen as inevitable consequences of the disease. Our findings challenge this idea by showing that a meaningful proportion of these complications could be prevented through achievable increases in physical activity among people living with diabetes,” lead author Jayne Feter, researcher in the school of medicine at Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The researchers analysed data from more than 2.3 million adults with diabetes across world regions, including South Asia.

Physical inactivity was found to account for more than 10 per cent of strokes, 9.7 per cent of diabetic retinopathy, 7.3 per cent of heart failure and around five to seven per cent of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease cases in people with diabetes.

Women and people with lower education levels were consistently seen to experience a higher proportion of complications attributable to physical inactivity, highlighting deep social inequities, the researchers said.

India is estimated to be home to more than one-fourth of the world’s diabetics, according to a 2024 study published in The Lancet journal. Complications can arise due to long-term high blood sugar, which may damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body.

Treating complications consumes a growing share of health budgets, especially in regions already facing strained health systems, the researchers said.

“This study reframes physical activity as a core component of diabetes complication prevention. Promoting physical activity among people with diabetes could reduce hospitalisations, disability, and healthcare costs, while improving quality of life,” Feter said.

The analysis combined population-based cohort studies and national surveys with risk estimates from large international meta-analyses (analysis of multiple studies) and global physical activity surveillance systems.

“Integrating physical activity promotion into routine diabetes care and national noncommunicable disease strategies is no longer optional. Policies must be tailored to local realities and explicitly address social and gender inequalities,” co-author Natan Feter, researcher in the department of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, said.