The more time we spend sitting, the greater the risk of mortality. It is the conclusion of a new study of theAmerican Cancer Society, which ensures that this effect is independent of the time we spend exercising. The findings were published in the journalAmerican Journal of Epidemiology.
Although various studies link obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems to lack of exercise, few studies have examined the relationship between time spent sitting and the death rate. To analyze it, a team of scientists has studied more than 120,000 subjects for 14 years. And has found thatwomen who spend more than six hours sitting a day see their risk of mortality increased by 37%versus those who only sit for three hours a day. In the case of men, six hours of sedentary life represent an 18% increase in the risk of dying, mainly due to cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the study reveals thatwhen excess time spent sitting is coupled with lack of physical activity, the risk of mortality almost triplesin both sexes.
“Several factors can explain the association between sedentary life and high mortality rates,” says Alpa Patel, coordinator of the study. According to the expert, spending a lot of time sitting has metabolic consequences, and affects “triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity, cardiovascular problems and other chronic diseases.”
