New Delhi, February 12, 2026 : More than 13 per cent of heart failure cases among people living with diabetes in India can be attributed to physical inactivity, according to a major global study that highlights the critical role of regular exercise in preventing diabetes-related complications.
The study, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, found that lack of physical activity was also responsible for 9.6 per cent of coronary heart disease cases and 9.4 per cent of cardiovascular complications among diabetics in India. Globally, nearly one in ten cases of macrovascular complications and diabetic retinopathy were linked to insufficient physical activity.
The researchers analysed data from over 2.3 million adults with diabetes across various regions, including South Asia, using population-based cohort studies, national health surveys, and large international meta-analyses. The findings suggest that physical inactivity contributes to more than 10 per cent of stroke cases, 9.7 per cent of diabetic retinopathy, 7.3 per cent of heart failure, and around five to seven per cent of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease cases among people with diabetes worldwide.
“Diabetes complications are often seen as unavoidable, but our findings clearly challenge that perception,” said lead author Jayne Feter, researcher at the School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. “A significant proportion of these complications could be prevented through achievable increases in physical activity.”
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. However, the study found that women and individuals with lower education levels faced a disproportionately higher burden of complications linked to inactivity, pointing to deep-rooted social and gender inequalities.
India is home to more than one-fourth of the world’s diabetic population, according to a 2024 Lancet study. Long-term high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to serious complications and increasing healthcare costs. Researchers warned that treating these complications is placing growing pressure on already strained health systems.
“This study reframes physical activity as a core pillar of diabetes care,” Feter said. “Encouraging regular physical activity can reduce hospitalisations, disability, and healthcare expenditure, while significantly improving quality of life.”
Co-author Natan Feter from the University of Southern California stressed that integrating physical activity promotion into routine diabetes care and national non-communicable disease strategies is now essential. “Policies must be tailored to local realities and must directly address social and gender inequalities,” he said.
