Age‐Specific Associations of Moderate‐to‐Vigorous Physical Activity With Relative and Absolute Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in UK Biobank Participants
Authors' conclusion
The relative association between higher MVPA volume and lower type 2 diabetes risk attenuated with age and was weaker among individuals with prediabetes, whereas absolute risk reductions were larger among older and metabolically higher-risk individuals.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants with valid accelerometry data without DM at baseline; median age 62.7 years (IQR 55.6–67.9), 57% women
- Participants
- 87,975 participants
- Exposure
- Lower vs higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) volume; later-day vs earlier-day MVPA timing
- Outcome
- Incident T2D
Methodological detailsaccelerometry, effect-modification analysis, 5-year age bins
- Accelerometry
- Effect-modification analysis
- 5-year age bins
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident T2D by MVPA volume (lower vs higher), by age subgroup
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
Age <62.7 yearsyounger than median population age
2.44(2.05–2.90)
Age ≥ median population age
1.65(1.47–1.86)
- Associations of MVPA volume with T2D most consistently modified by age and baseline prediabetes
- all p-values for interaction < 0.05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Incident T2D in participants without vs with prediabetes
- Stronger associations among participants without prediabetes
MVPA timing (later-day vs earlier-day) and T2D risk
- No clear effect modification observed
- Exploratory analyses
Original publication
Age‐Specific Associations of Moderate‐to‐Vigorous Physical Activity With Relative and Absolute Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in UK Biobank Participants. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 13 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →