Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks - PMC

The Nugget

Prolonged sedentary behavior significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, cancers, and other health issues regardless of physical activity levels. Breaking up sedentary time with physical activity can mitigate some of these negative effects.

Make it stick

🛋️ Sitting too much can kill you — Long periods of sitting are tied to higher death rates.
🏃 Move to live — Even light physical activity can reduce the risks associated with prolonged sitting.
📺 TV is a health risk — Watching a lot of TV is particularly bad because it often involves snacking and inactivity.
🚶‍♂️ Breaks save lives — Regularly breaking up sitting times with activity can have significant health benefits.

Study Population and Duration: The study reviewed existing literature and data from multiple populations, inclusive of both genders and various age groups.
Sedentary Definitions: Sedentary behavior was defined as any waking behavior with an energy expenditure of 1.5 MET or less, such as sitting or reclining.
Findings: Sedentary time was correlated with higher risks of mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Intermittent breaks and light to moderate physical activities were beneficial.
Strength and Limits: This was a comprehensive review of existing studies and meta-analyses. It was not a randomized controlled trial and had limitations inherent to observational data.

Sedentary Behavior: Any waking activity characterized by low energy expenditure (≤1.5 METs), like sitting or lying down.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task): A unit that measures the energy expenditure of activities, where 1 MET is the rate of energy expenditure while at rest.
All-cause Mortality: Death from any cause, as opposed to death from a specific disease or condition.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): A class of diseases related to the heart and blood vessels, including heart attacks and strokes.
Insulin Sensitivity: How responsive cells are to insulin; reduced sensitivity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Sedentary behavior greatly impacts global health, being a significant risk factor for mortality and various diseases.
Physical inactivity is responsible for 3.2 million deaths globally each year.
Metabolic Impact: Prolonged sitting negatively affects lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Replacing sedentary periods with even light-intensity physical activity can significantly lower risks of high blood pressure and metabolic issues.
Blood Pressure: Studies found a notable reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure when sedentary time was interrupted by physical activity.

Watching TV is particularly harmful, linked to increased risks for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Cancer Risk: Sedentary behavior is significantly associated with higher risks of certain cancers, including colorectal and endometrial cancer.

"Sedentary behaviors, including prolonged sitting, are linked to adverse health outcomes including increased risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers."
"Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for 6% of all deaths globally."
"Intermittently breaking up prolonged periods of sitting with light physical activity can positively affect health, reducing the risk of metabolic disorders."
"There is a significant impact of sedentary behavior on mortality, independent of physical activity levels; greater sedentary time is associated with higher mortality risks."

About 31% of the global population aged ≥15 years engages in insufficient physical activity.
Daily Sedentary Time: On average, adults in the U.S. spend 7.7 hours per day in sedentary behaviors, while Korean adults spend about 8.3 hours.

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.