foodconsumer.org: Sitting Too Long Boosts Death Risk

Sitting Too Long Boosts Death Risk
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admin on 07/24/2010 16:26:00
 
A new study suggests that it does not matter how long you engage in physical
activity  or exercise, sitting too long in your leisure time could increase the
risk of death from all causes, particularly cardiovascular deaths.
The study led by Dr. Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer
Society and colleagues showed that both men and women who sit for a longer time
daily were at a higher risk of dying from all causes.
The study published online July 22 in the American Journal of Epidemiology is
not a trial and the findings do not mean that if an individual who reduces his
leisure time spent sitting would definitely cut his risk of death.
Dr. Patel and colleagues analyzed data from 53,440 men and 69,776 women who were
disease when entering the Cancer Prevention II study in an effort to demonstrate
that sitting too long in a person's leisure time can be an independent risk for
increased risk of death.
During a 14-year follow-up, the authors identified 11,307 deaths in men and
7,923 deaths in women.
After adjusting for smoking, body mass index, and other risk factors, the
researchers found men and women who spent equal to or more than 6 hours daily
sitting were 25 percent and 34 percent more likely, respectively, than men and
women who spent fewer than 3 hours per day.
Men and women who sit for more than 6 hours per day and also engaged in fewer
than 24.5 metabolic equivalent hours per week were 48 percent and 94 percent
more likely, respectively, than those who spent the least time sitting and most
activity.
The associations were strongest for cardiovascular disease mortality. And the
time spent sitting was independently linked with total mortality regardless of
the physical activity status.
Patel was quoted by healthday.com as saying "the more time you spend sitting,
the less total energy expended and you can have consequences such as weight gain
and increased obesity."
A health observer said that it is simply normal for healthy elderly people to
engage in less physical exercise and to spend more time sitting because as
people age, they are physically no longer able to keep moving for as many hours
as young people do.
The health observer suggested that the most important thing to do is eat only
the amount of food you need.  When a person eats too much, he is at risk of
becoming obese.  When he is obese, he would be more likely suffering other
conditions and sit for longer hours every day. There is a vicious cycle.
Physical exercise cuts cardiovascular death risk
However, physical activity may still have some positive impact.
A study published in the May 2010 issue of Journal of Epidemiology suggests that
increased physical exercise can reduce risk of cardiovascular death risk.
The study led by Shitata Y and colleagues from Jamamatsu University of School of
Medicine in Shizuoka, Japan found people who were physically active were less
likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
In the study, the researchers analyzed data from 9810 men and women from 12
communities who participated in a survey from April 1992 to July 1995 and were
followed for 12 years on average.  One hundred and ninety four participants died
during the follow-up.
Men and women were grouped into four quartiles based on their physical exercise.
Compared to men and women who had least physical activity, men and women who had
highest physical activity were 60 percent and 52 percent less likely,
respectively, to die from cardiovascular disease, stroke and myocardial
infarction.
By David Liu