Diabetes Patients Cut Death Risk With Weekend Workouts

Even sporadic activity significantly boosts longevity and heart health

Adults managing diabetes can dramatically lower their risk of dying from any cause by being active on weekends or exercising consistently. These findings offer renewed hope for individuals who find regular gym routines challenging.

Activity Levels Linked to Longevity

A comprehensive analysis of over 51,000 adults with diabetes tracked over two decades revealed substantial health benefits from physical activity. Those engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, even if concentrated into one or two sessions, experienced a 21% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to inactive individuals. Those who spread their activity across three or more sessions weekly saw a 17% lower risk.

Heart Health Sees Major Gains

The positive effects are particularly pronounced for cardiovascular health. “Weekend warriors” showed a 33% lower risk of dying from heart-related issues, while regularly active participants had a 19% reduction. These findings are significant given the heightened risk of premature mortality associated with diabetes.

Cancer Mortality Shows Smaller Impact

While the benefits for cancer deaths were less pronounced, regularly active individuals showed a slight decrease in risk compared to their inactive counterparts. The study noted minimal differences in cancer mortality risk between “weekend warriors” and inactive individuals.

Broader Public Health Implications

Even those who were not highly active but still engaged in some form of physical activity benefited, demonstrating a lower mortality risk than those who remained sedentary. This reinforces the idea that any movement is better than none for individuals with diabetes.

“This should be reassuring given the elevated premature mortality risk, distinct physiology, and low physical activity adherence among adults with diabetes,” the researchers reported. “These findings reinforce the importance of flexible physical activity patterns for people with diabetes as they can improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control — especially for those who face barriers to maintaining regularly routine exercise.”

—Haibin Li, PhD, Lead Researcher

A 2023 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that only about 20% of adults with diabetes meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, highlighting the relevance of these findings for a large segment of the population.

Study Details and Limitations

The research, published in *Annals of Internal Medicine*, analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1997 to 2019. Participants were categorized into inactive, insufficiently active, weekend warrior, and regularly active groups. While the study accounted for numerous confounding factors like age, BMI, and chronic conditions, it relied on self-reported physical activity and did not capture activity outside of leisure time or changes in activity levels over the study period.

Study Highlights Adverse Childhood Experiences’ Impact on Pediatric ED Visits

A new study reveals a stark connection: parents who endured more childhood adversity are likely to have children with sickle cell disease (SCD) requiring significantly more emergency department (ED) visits. This research underscores the profound impact of parental psychosocial factors on pediatric health outcomes.

Childhood Adversity Fuels Healthcare Burden

Researchers found that children whose parents reported a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) averaged 12.5 emergency visits, a stark contrast to the 3.8 visits seen in children of parents with fewer ACEs. The study, conducted from 2020 to 2023, examined 79 children with SCD and their caregivers.

Resilience Offers a Shield, But ACEs Persist

The analysis, which categorized parental ACE scores into low (0 ACEs), intermediate (1-3 ACEs), and high (4+ ACEs), indicated that 17.7% of caregivers fell into the high-risk category. While 83.5% of caregivers displayed normal resiliency levels, those with high ACE scores saw their children with SCD experience more ED visits and hospitalizations. A regression coefficient of 7.35 (95% CI, 1.77-12.94) demonstrated this significant association.

Low Parental Resilience Exacerbates Health Crises

Furthermore, the findings indicated that lower parental resilience was also linked to an increase in ED visits for children with SCD, with a regression coefficient of 5.69 (95% CI, 0.13-11.26). This suggests that a parent’s ability to bounce back from hardship directly influences their child’s healthcare utilization, particularly during crises.

Integrating Trauma-Informed Care

“Our study offers insights into parental psychosocial factors that practitioners should consider when caring for pediatric populations from vulnerable communities,” the authors noted. They advocate for integrating parental ACE screening into pediatric care to foster more effective trauma-informed approaches, especially for groups like children with SCD.

Study Limitations and Future Directions

The study acknowledged several limitations, including a modest sample size, incomplete data on medication adherence, and reliance on self-reported ACEs. Researchers also noted potential sampling bias and the exclusion of factors like chronic pain from the analysis. The precise ratio of scheduled versus missed clinic appointments was not fully detailed, potentially affecting healthcare use estimations.

The research, led by David K. Wilson, DO, of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, was published online on July 10, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. Understanding these parental vulnerabilities is crucial as healthcare systems worldwide grapple with improving care for chronic pediatric conditions. For instance, in 2023, the U.S. saw over 1.6 million emergency department visits for pediatric asthma alone, highlighting the general strain on emergency services for childhood illnesses (American Hospital Association, 2023).

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Even ‘Weekend Warriors’ With Diabetes Can Reduce Death Risk