Arthritis impacts 27 percent of the general population, but people with diabetes are even more at risk. Fifty-two percent of diabetics have arthritis -- about twice the rate of the general population.

Using approximately 800,000 phone surveys collected between 2005-2007, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the evidence does not suggest diabetes and arthritis are causal of one another, but both conditions do share key risk factors such as obesity. Surprisingly, both young and old diabetics were just as likely to have high rates of arthritis. While exercise can help regulate blood glucose levels in diabetics and relieve arthritic joint pain, CDC researchers learned about 30 percent of adults with diabetes and arthritis are inactive -- a real conundrum. This is significantly higher than those inactive with a single condition -- 21 percent of people with diabetes alone and 17 percent of people with solely arthritis.

As a fan of everything fitness, and as a sister and daughter of two brothers and both parents with type 1 diabetes, this new study is concerning. Arthritis can prove a major barrier to regular exercise. However it's not all bad news -- there are specific exercise programs/protocols designed to benefit people with arthritis. A couple years ago I wrote a non-profit grant application highlighting spectacular participant results thanks to an arthritis swim program at a local YMCA in my area. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive report on the general exercise philosophy for arthritis sufferers in a future post. Here's a link to order an informative Arthritis and Diabetes publication (pictured) available through the Arthritis Foundation.

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