Research

Adherence

Low physical activity is a strong independent risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) mortality, with an association magnitude of 2.4 per 100,000 persons, which is higher than dietary risks (1.4) and smoking (0.8).

Prioritize increasing your daily physical activity levels. This study identifies physical inactivity as a stronger predictor of T2DM mortality than dietary risks or smoking. You do not need a specific exercise regimen to benefit; simply reducing sedentary time and increasing movement can significantly lower your risk of dying from diabetes-related causes.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Low physical activity was strongly associated with mortality rates, followed by dietary risks and smoking (2.4; 1.4; 0.8 per 100,000 persons, respectively).
Devy L Elling et al. · Globalization and Health · 2018

Why this rating

The study uses aggregate global data from the Global Burden of Disease study, which provides broad epidemiological evidence but lacks individual-level mechanistic or randomized controlled trial data.

Source

Sex differences and risk factors for diabetes mellitus - an international study from 193 countries

Devy L Elling et al. · Globalization and Health · 2018

DOI 10.1186/s12992-018-0437-7

cross_sectionalCited 32×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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