Last updated May 16, 2026
Key finding
Exercise may help lower blood pressure in type 2 diabetes, but results vary between people.
This review looked at 6 studies with 1,112 adults with diabetes to see if exercise helps lower blood pressure. Most participants were between 53 and 62 years old and had type 2 diabetes. The studies tested different types of exercise including walking, jogging, cycling, and strength training over 3 to 12 months. Overall, exercise helped lower both top and bottom blood pressure numbers. The effect was small for the top number and moderate for the bottom number. However, results varied widely between studies. This suggests that benefits may depend on the type of exercise, how often you do it, and individual differences. Regular exercise appears to help with blood pressure in people with diabetes, but effects may not be the same for everyone.
Quick read
The essential study design details in one scan.
EvidenceScore™
Moderate
Study type
Systematic Review
Follow-up
Medium-Term (3–12 mo)
Risk of bias
Some Concerns
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Plain-language summary
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Study focus
Exercise may help lower blood pressure in type 2 diabetes, but results vary between people.
Published in
Publication details and source links for this paper.
Adekunle H, Balogun O. Exercise Intervention for Blood Pressure Reduction in Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus. 2026;18(2):e104244. doi:10.7759/cureus.104244
Blood pressure (bottom number) → ↓ (moderate improvement)
Blood pressure (top number) → ↓ (small improvement)
Evidence network
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This study contributes evidence to Exercise therapy and Diastolic blood pressure, Systolic blood pressure.
This study contributes evidence to
Primary intervention
Exercise therapy
Primary outcomes
Evidence topics
Primary intervention
Primary outcomes
Intervention and outcome relationships this study adds to the evidence network.
Editorial context
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Evidence network role
This section describes how the study fits into the current evidence network. It does not determine whether an intervention works on its own.
1
Related topics
2
Evidence pairs
149
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Evidence topic
Contributes evidence
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Primary evidence
Evidence topic
matched_intervention_and_outcome
Core evidence
The primary outcomes reported in this study.
Exercise therapy → Diastolic blood pressure
Exercise therapy → Diastolic blood pressure
Exercise therapy → Systolic blood pressure
Exercise therapy → Systolic blood pressure
Evidence Library
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Adults with type 2 diabetes who have high blood pressure, especially those aged 40 and older who can participate in structured exercise programs.
Only six studies were analyzed, limiting confidence that these findings apply broadly to all people with diabetes.
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Relationships organized using the Dediabetes Evidence Intelligence™ framework.
This study contributes to evidence on Exercise therapy and Blood Pressure, Exercise therapy and Blood Pressure.
This study contributes to the evidence on the following intervention-outcome relationships.
Physical Activity
Physical Activity
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2 results
2 results
2 results
2 results
2 results
Generated from the study's connected evidence using Evidence Intelligence™.
Exercise therapy may improve Systolic blood pressure.
ConsistencyScore™: Results are consistent across studies.
Ranked evidence signals
Systolic blood pressure
EvidenceScore™ Moderate | EvidenceScore™ 69.0 | moderate positive | ConsistencyScore™ Consistent | 1 study
Why this answer: This answer is based on a single supporting study.
Limitations
Current evidence does not show a clear benefit of Exercise therapy for Diastolic blood pressure.
ConsistencyScore™: Results are mixed and should be interpreted cautiously.
Ranked evidence signals
Diastolic blood pressure
EvidenceScore™ Moderate | EvidenceScore™ 69.0 | neutral | ConsistencyScore™ Mixed | 1 study
Why this answer: This answer is cautious because the available studies report mixed findings.
Limitations
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