Diabetics: half arthritic, many physically inactive

by William Atkins

Monday, 12 May 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! According to a CDC study, 52% of U.S. adults with diabetes also have arthritis. The study also found that this combination brings high levels of physical inactivity—which increases diabetic and arthritic problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report “Arthritis as a Potential Barrier to Physical Activity Among Adults with Diabetes --- United States, 2005 and 2007” states that it is very important for people with diabetes to stay physically active. Specifically, the report begins, “The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Sports Medicine agree that increasing physical activity among persons with diabetes is an important public health goal to 1) reduce blood glucose and risk factors for complications (e.g., obesity and hypertension) in persons with diabetes and 2) improve cardiovascular disease outcomes.” However, when diabetics have arthritis, too, that ability to maintain an exercise routine is often difficult. The CDC study appears in the May 9, 2008 issue of the CDC's journal MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. According to the CDC, previous to this study, research into diabetes, arthritis, and physical inactivity had not been performed. Thus, CDC researchers used 2005 and 2007 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure the percentage of diabetic people who also have arthritis and the amount of physical activity among adults with both diabetes and arthritis. The BRFSS survey is a random telephone survey (still being conducted), which is directed to the U.S. adult population over the age of 18 years in all of the fifty U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For this study, questions about diabetes, arthritis, and physical activities were asked, along with general questions on height, weight, age, gender, etc. The CDC researchers found that people 18 to 44 years of age have a 27.6% chance of having arthritis. This percentage is 2.5 times the rate of the general U.S. population without diabetes in that age group. In the 44 to 64 year age group, arthritis is present in 51.8% of people with diabetes. In the general U.S. population (those without diabetes), arthritis affects 36.4% of people in that age group. In the 65 years and older age group, 62.4% of diabetics also have arthritis. In that age group of people who aren’t diabetics, the percentage of those with arthritis is 56.2%. When it came to physical inactivity, the CDC study found that the percentage was highest in those people with both diabetes and arthritis. Physical inactivity was at 29.8% in those people with both diabetes and arthritis. Adults with arthritis, but not diabetes, had physical inactivity at 17.3% and adults with diabetes, but not arthritis, had physical inactivity at 21.0%. Physical inactivity was lowest among adults without diabetes and arthritis, at 10.9%. Please read the next page, which contains comments made by Dr. Charles Helmick, head of the CDC study. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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