Physical Activity, Sitting Time and Mortality in Older Adults with Diabetes

The purpose of this study was to examine the independent and combined association of physical activity (PA) and sitting time (ST) with all-cause mortality in older adults with diabetes. A total of 611 individuals representative of the Spanish diabetic population aged ≥ 60 years. Participants were selected in 2000/2001 and were prospectively followed-up through 2011. PA and ST were self-reported at baseline. Study associations were summarized as hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). During a mean follow-up of 8.3 years, 282 deaths occurred. The HR (95% CI) of mortality for very/moderately active individuals compared to those who were inactive/less active was 0.59 (0.45, 0.78). The association between ST and mortality was non-linear (P<0.001 in spline analysis), and mortality was increased only among individuals who reported a ST>8 h/day (HR=1.77, 95% CI 1.25, 2.52). The HR (95% CI) of mortality was 0.50 (0.32, 0.77) in participants who either were very/moderately active or had ST≤8 h/day, and 0.32 (0.20, 0.50) in those with both health behaviors, compared to those with none of these behaviors. In conclusion, among older adults with diabetes, high PA and less ST are independently and jointly associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality.