Link Between Sitting & Disease Reconfirmed

Previously, a number of studies report a link between being sedentary and risks of chronic diseases (see A4M’s “Beware The Chair,” at http://www.worldhealth.net/news/beware-chair/).  David Alter, from the University of Toronto (Canada), and colleagues report findings of their meta-analysis, involving studies assessing sedentary behavior in adults on cardiovascular disease and diabetes (14 studies), cancer (14 studies), and all-cause mortality (13 studies).  Sitting for prolonged periods raised the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14%, cancer by 13%, and diabetes by 91%.  Those who sat for long stretches and got no regular exercise had a 40% higher risk of early death. With regular exercise, the risk was smaller but still significant: about 10%.  The study authors warn that: “Prolonged sedentary time was independently associated with deleterious health outcomes regardless of physical activity.”