Aims
To evaluate physical activity in people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes using objective measures.
Methods
We analysed data from a study aimed at assessing carotid femoral pulse wave velocity in which a piezoelectric accelerometer was worn by 100 people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes and by 100 age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects. Differences in physical activity patterns were investigated.
Results
Compared with the control group, the people with Type 2 diabetes spent significantly more time engaged in sedentary or lower level activities during the day, with a mean (sd) time of 926 (44) vs 898 (70) min, P < 0.001). This difference remained significant after correction for differences in BMI between the two groups.
Conclusions
Using objective measurements, our findings demonstrate that people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes have a more sedentary lifestyle compared with well‐matched controls.