Editorial

The complex interplay between hypoglycemia and exercise

Rory J McCrimmon, MD

Diabetic Hypoglycemia October 2011, Volume 4, Issue 2: page 1-2

It is well recognized that regular physical activity has direct health benefits for individuals with type 1 diabetes, perhaps even more so than in the general population. In one of the first epidemiological studies of exercise in type 1 diabetes, Moy and colleagues reported a 7-year follow up of 548 diabetes patients, which showed that overall activity level was inversely related to mortality risk.1 They found that sedentary males (expending <1,000 kcal/week) were three times more likely to die than active males (expending >2,000 kcal/week). A similar, but statistically non-significant, association was seen in females, together indicating that physical activity had beneficial effects on morbidity and longevity in people with type 1 diabetes.