Summary: Those who sit for six hours or more a day have a substantial risk of heart disease and premature death.
Source: Simon Fraser University
New research adds more weight to the argument that sitting for a long time can be dangerous to your health.
An international study of more than 100,000 people in 21 countries found that people who sat for six to eight hours a day had a 12-13% higher risk of premature death and heart disease. sitting for more than eight hours a day increased this. up to an overwhelming 20 percent.
The study, co-led by Simon Fraser University Professor of Health Sciences Scott Lear and Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, is published today in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
His research followed individuals for an average of 11 years and determined that large amounts of sitting time were associated with an increased risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease. While sitting was problematic in all countries, it was especially so in low- and middle-income countries.
“The general message here is to minimize how much you sit,” Lear says. “If you have to sit down, exercising more at other times of the day will make up for that risk.”
Not surprisingly, those who sat more and were less active had the highest risk, up to 50 percent, while those who sat more but were also the most active had a substantially lower risk of 17 percent. per cent.
Not surprisingly, those who sat more and were less active had the highest risk, up to 50 percent, while those who sat more but were also the most active had a substantially lower risk of 17 percent. per cent. The image is in the public domain
“For those who are sitting for more than four hours a day, replacing half an hour of sitting per exercise reduced the risk by two percent,” Lear notes. “With only one in four Canadians meeting the activity guidelines, here is a real opportunity for people to increase their activity and reduce their chances of premature death and heart disease.”
The study found a particular association in lower-income countries, which led researchers to speculate that it may be because sitting in higher-income countries is usually associated with higher socioeconomic status and better jobs. remunerated.
Doctors should focus on less sitting and more activity, as it is a low-cost intervention that can have a huge benefit, Lear points out.
But while doctors need to get the word out about the fight against sitting activity, people need to better assess their lifestyles and take their health seriously, Lear adds. “Our study found that a combination of sitting and inactivity accounted for 8.8% of all deaths, which is close to the contribution of smoking” (10.6% in the study by Lear and Li). “It’s a global problem that has a very simple solution. Scheduling time to get up from this chair is a great start.”
About this cardiovascular disease research news
Author: Press OfficeSource: Simon Fraser UniversityContact: Press Office – Simon Fraser UniversityImage: Image is in the public domain
Original search: closed access. “Association of sitting time with mortality and cardiovascular events in high-, middle-, and low-income countries” by Sidong Li et al. JAMA Cardiology
Summary
Association of sitting time with mortality and cardiovascular events in high-, middle-, and low-income countries
Importance
High amounts of sitting time are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in high-income countries, but it is unknown whether the risks also increase in low- and middle-income countries.
Goal
Investigate the association of sitting time with mortality and major ECVs in countries of different economic levels using data from the study Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology.
Design, stage and participants
See also
This population-based cohort study included participants between the ages of 35 and 70 recruited from January 1, 2003, and was followed up to August 31, 2021 in 21 high-income countries. , medium and low with medium tracking. of 11.1 years.
Exhibitions
Daily sitting time measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
Main results and measures
All-cause mortality and major CVD (defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure).
Results
Of 105,677 participants, 61,925 (58.6%) were female, and the mean age (SD) was 50.4 (9.6) years. During a mean follow-up of 11.1 (IQR, 8.6-12.2) years, 6233 deaths and 5696 major cardiovascular events were documented (2349 myocardial infarctions, 2966 strokes, 671 heart failure, and 1792 cardiovascular deaths). Compared to the reference group (<4 hours per day sitting), a longer sitting time (≥8 hours per day) was associated with an increased risk of compound outcome (hazard ratio). [HR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.28; Pfor trend <0.001), all-cause mortality (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.31; Pfor trend <0.001) and higher CVD (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1 , 10-1,34; Pfor trend <0.001) .001).
When stratified by country income levels, the association of sitting time with composite outcome was strongest in low- and middle-low-income countries (≥8 hours per day: HR, 1.29; CI 95%, 1.16-1.44) compared to high- and middle-income countries (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.98-1.19; P for interaction = 0.02). Compared with those who reported sitting for less than 4 hours a day and a high level of physical activity, participants who sat for 8 hours or more a day experienced an associated risk of between 17% and 50% higher than the compound result between physical activity levels; and the risk was mitigated along with rising levels of physical activity.
Conclusions and relevance
High amounts of sitting time were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD in economically diverse settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Reducing sedentary time along with increasing physical activity could be an important strategy to alleviate the overall burden of premature death and CVD.