Percentage of body fat was a significantly more important predictor of exercise capacity -- heart and lung endurance and overall physical fitness -- than other measurements, the data showed.
Therefore recognition of body fat percentage as an important marker in determining CVD risk has prognostic implications with respect to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
The condition also had more of an impact on exercise capacity than more traditional barometers, including blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels and HbA1C, or blood sugar, the researchers said.
"Body composition and fat distribution have vital implications concerning physical fitness in diabetes," study co-author Dr. Prasanna Santhanam told UPI in an email.
"Increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat may increase physical fitness in diabetes, although more long term studies are needed in this regard," said Santhanam, an assistant professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
An estimated 30 million people in the United States have Type 2 diabetes, which places them at increased risk for heart disease and other health complications, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Exercise is considered crucial for people with the disease to minimize their risk for these serious health problems, Santhanam and his colleagues said.
For this study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 1,300 adults in the United States with Type 2 diabetes.
All study participants were assessed based on several metrics, including blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, total cholesterol, weight, waist circumference and muscle mass, the researchers said.
Most of the participants had blood sugar levels within the recommended target range of 7% to 8%.
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