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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.

Sec. Renal Endocrinology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1625973

This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Chronic Disease Research Through Systems Epidemiology and Computational MethodsView all articles

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Type 2 Diabetes-Related Diabetic Kidney Disease Attributable to Low Physical Activity from 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 with Predictions to 2050.

Provisionally accepted
MEI  WANGMEI WANG1Ruihua  YANRuihua YAN1Xia  WenboXia Wenbo1,2Yongcai  GaoYongcai Gao1Yonghua  LiuYonghua Liu1Li  BaoLi Bao1Hongyan  LuoHongyan Luo1Jing  EJing E1Hui  WangHui Wang1Bo  LiBo Li1*Yali  ZhengYali Zheng1,2*
  • 1People’s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
  • 2Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Abstract Background: Low physical activity (LPA) significantly heightens the susceptibility of both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic renal disease. Nearly half of population diagnosed with T2DM globally worsen into diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Focusing on physically inactive populations, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the trends over time and regional changes in T2DM-associated DKD attributable to LPA burden. Methods: We utilized data of the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study to initially assess the worldwide effects of T2DM-associated DKD attributable to LPA by computing the numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of death, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs), categorized by subtypes in 2021. Linear regression model was applied to analyze the illness burden from 1990 to 2021. Furthermore, cluster analysis was performed to assess the regional differences in disease burden across GBD regions. Lastly, to forecast the illness burden for the next 25 years, we utilized the autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Excess Risk (ER) models. Results: In 2021, the fatalities attributed to T2DM-related DKD attributable to LPA amounted to 30835 (95%UI: 12346-51646) cases, with 698484 (95%UI: 275039-1158032) DALYs. The ASRs of death and DALYs were 0.38 (95%UI: 0.15-0.63) and 8.19 (95%UI: 3.21-13.6) per 100000 individuals, respectively. Between 1990 and 2021, there was a notable escalation in deaths, DALYs, YLDs, and YLLs, as well as their ASRs. The highest burden was observed among males, older adults (aged 70 years and above), and middle Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Significant differences were noted in the disease burden among various regions and countries as defined by the GBD study. Predictive analyses indicate a continued escalation of this burden by the year 2050. Conclusions: The global impact of DKD attributable to LPA remains considerable, with significant disparities noted across different genders, ages, and regions. To mitigate this burden, it is crucial to implement effective interventions aimed at addressing physical inactivity, specifically designed for targeted demographic groups.

Keywords: low physical activity, Diabetic kidney disease, Global burden of disease, deaths, DALYs

Received: 09 May 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 WANG, YAN, Wenbo, Gao, Liu, Bao, Luo, E, Wang, Li and Zheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Bo Li, People’s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
Yali Zheng, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China

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