The aim of this study was to analyse how physical activity affects progression from isolated impaired fasting glucose (i-IFG) or isolated impaired glucose tolerance (i-IGT) to diabetes. The study sample involved 4031 individuals without diabetes at baseline who participated in the baseline and 5-year follow-up examinations of a population-based primary prevention study, the Inter99 Study. Results found that high levels of total physical activity were inversely associated with the risk of progression to diabetes in the total study population and more specifically in individuals with i-IGT. However, total physical activity did not predict progression to diabetes in individuals with i-IFG. Commuting and leisure time physical activity were assessed by questionnaire. In separate analyses, only commuting physical activity showed a dose response relationship with progression to diabetes in individuals with i-IGT. In fact, leisure time physical activity did not show a simple dose-response relationship with progression to diabetes. These results suggest that the association between physical activity and progression to diabetes is different in individuals with i-IFG and i-IGT.
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