A study reported by multiple outlets finds that prolonged sedentary periods are linked to a higher risk of dying from cancer. Researchers tracked more than 90,000 people over about a decade and examined time spent sitting or lying down while awake in continuous stretches. The findings suggest that being sedentary for more than 30 minutes at a time each day is associated with an increased risk of cancer death, rather than total sitting time alone. Several reports also state that the risk rises further with each additional hour of continuous inactivity. Articles note that the data focus on cancer mortality and highlight the potential importance of breaking up long periods of sitting. In discussing implications, outlets suggest that even light activity—such as standing or moving briefly during the day—may help reduce risks associated with prolonged sedentary behaviour. Coverage varies mainly in how it describes practical takeaways, but the central result is consistent across sources: long, uninterrupted sitting or lying periods correlate with higher cancer death risk.
Sitting more than 30 minutes at a time linked to higher cancer death risk
A study reported by multiple outlets finds that prolonged sedentary periods are linked to a higher risk of dying from cancer. Researchers tracked more than 90,000 people over about a decade and examin...
- Researchers track more than 90,000 people over around a decade.
- Sitting or lying down while awake for more than 30 minutes at a time is linked to higher cancer death risk.
- The associated risk increases with each additional hour of continuous inactivity.
- The findings emphasize breaking up long sedentary periods rather than focusing only on total sitting time.
- Light movement during breaks in sitting is discussed as a possible way to reduce sedentary-related risk.
New research shows that prolonged periods of sitting or lying down could increase the risk of certain cancers. Image Credit: Justin Paget/Getty Images A new study found that prolonged sedentary behaviors can raise the risk of various cancers, including colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer. Replacing just 1 hour of prolonged sedentary behavior per day with light physical activity reduced the risk of cancer death by 12%. While the findings don’t establish causality, they can help guide personalized strategies to break up sitting time. Sedentary behaviors are ubiquitous in modern life. Many jobs require long periods of sitting, and many people enjoy streaming television shows and movies or playing video games. Whatever the reason, a sedentary lifestyle may raise the risk of various health issues. A new study published in PLOS Medicine on July 2 found that prolonged sedentary behavior could increase the risk of many types of cancer. However, the findings also indicate that breaking up your sitting time, even with just an hour of light activity, can greatly reduce the risk. “A sedentary lifestyle can lead to a person becoming overweight,” said David Yashar, MD, hematologist-medical oncologist of MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. Yashar wasn’t involved in the study. “We know that an increased amount of fat causes inflammation, which is a known risk factor for cancer. Obesity has also been associated with the development of colorectal cancer,” Yashar told Healthline. Prolonged sitting raises cancer-related death risk by 10% The study analyzed data from 91,292 participants in the UK Biobank. Each participant had worn an activity monitor for 7 days and was followed for an average of 12.38 years afterward. During the study, activity was categorized in the following ways: prolonged sedentary (bouts of at least 30 minutes, with at least 90% of the time sedentary) interrupted sedentary (lasted less than 30 minutes or was broken up with more than 10% non-sedentary time) varying degrees of physical activity Yashar explained that sedentary lifestyles may lead to hormonal imbalances that may contribute to the development of certain hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer. Prolonged sedentary behavior was associated with a higher risk of cancer death and overall cancer incidence. It was associated with cancers, such as: colorectal cancer breast cancer liver cancer kidney cancer pancreatic cancer ovarian cancer esophageal cancer thyroid cancer For each additional hour of uninterrupted prolonged sedentary behavior, there was a 10% higher risk of cancer-related death. Light physical activity reduces cancer death risk by 12% Current guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. However, this study shows that even light-intensity activity can lower your cancer risk. The researchers found that replacing at least 1 hour of daily prolonged sedentary behavior with light physical activity can reduce the risk of cancer death by 12%. “Our findings suggest that the health effects of sedentary behavior may depend not only on total sedentary time, but also on whether that time is accumulated in prolonged bouts or interrupted by activity,” the study authors said in a press release. “This pattern is biologically plausible: experimental studies have shown that interrupting prolonged sitting with short bouts of activity can improve metabolic responses compared with uninterrupted sitting.” According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), light physical activity is anything that involves moving rather than sitting or lying down. Light physical activity may include: getting up to get a drink moving around your house walking at a slow pace cleaning and dusting vacuuming making your bed standing up Regular physical activity can benefit your health in many ways. Moderate-intensity activity may provide more benefits. However, it is important to remember that some movement is better than none. Breaking up your sedentary time with light activity can be a good stepping stone to more vigorous activity.
Each additional hour of prolonged sedentary behavior was linked to a 10% higher cancer death risk, but brief movement breaks may significantly reduce it.
1 month agoNew research links prolonged sitting to a higher cancer death risk. Even short movement breaks significantly reduce this increased risk. Replacing one hour of sitting with light activity dropped cancer death risk by twelve percent. Moderate activity also cut the risk, while vigorous exercise showed greater benefits. Frequent interruptions to chair time are crucial for maintaining health.
1 month agoThe main message is simple: it’s not just how long you sit each day, but how you sit that seems to matter
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