OBJECTIVES: Lifestyle management plays an important role in managing obesity and diabetes and has a potential to reduce health care utilization and costs. This study assessed the effect of regular physical activity on health care utilization patterns and expenses in a national sample of overweight and obese US adults with diabetes.

METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study used years 2010-2015 household component two-year panel data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a survey representative of the US civilian non-institutionalized population. A cohort of adults from each MEPS panel with diabetes and a body mass index (BMI, kg/m) ≥ 25 were divided into exercise vs no exercise groups: (1) two years of moderate or vigorous physical activity > RESULTS: Among 5140 overweight and obese adults with diabetes, 49.4% reported exercise at least five times weekly, representing 9.3 million US individuals. The exercise group showed lower medical care and prescription drug utilization than the non-exercise group (p<0.001). The total unadjusted health expenses in the exercise group were $5,651(p<0.001) lower than non-exercise group. After controlling for socioeconomic and health-related variables, regular exercise reduced total health care expenses by 24.4% (p<0.001) and the likelihood of hospitalization by 29% (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Exercise five times weekly over a two-year panel time-frame lowered the risk for hospitalization and health care expenses in overweight and obese adults with diabetes.