Prolonged Sitting Periods Lifts Mortality Risk in Women, Research Finds

Rebecca Lewis January 20, 2014

A new study provides additional evidence to the health risks of sitting too much. The report, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, suggests that women who spent more time sitting and resting are at risk of dying young.

For the study, researchers analysed 92,234 postmenopausal women who were between 50 and 79 who spent an average of nine to 10 hours a day sitting. Participants were followed for a period of 12 years to find an association between extended sitting periods and higher risk of dying over the follow-up period, including the likelihood of contracting cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and cancer.

Specifically, women who spent more than 11 hours resting or sitting each day had a 12 per cent higher risk of dying early from any cause, compared with women who spent four hours or fewer resting or sitting.

"As older adults have high levels of sedentary time, they should be included in future intervention trials designed to decrease sedentary time to determine whether this modiﬁable risk factor can extend active life," the researchers wrote.

More health risks

There have been several studies in the past suggesting that inactivity, in the form of prolonged sitting, may increase the risk of different diseases, as well as premature death. Back in October, researchers from the University of Missouri found that it may increase the risk of diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who sat for 6 hours or more had a 40 per cent increased risk of dying over a 13-year period than those who sat less. In another research reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last August, it was found that every hour spent sitting in front of the TV could slash 22 minutes off a person’s life expectancy.

"The assumption has been that if you’re fit and physically active, that will protect you, even if you spend a huge amount of time sitting each day," says Rebecca Seguin, the current study researcher and assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the College of Human Ecology, Cornell University. "In fact, in doing so you are far less protected from negative health effects of being sedentary than you realize."

Source of this article:

Too Much Sitting Raises Early Death Risk For Women