CLINICAL DAILY NEWS
KRISTEN FISCHER – OCTOBER 28, 2024
(Photo: SeventyFour/Getty Images)
Low physical activity is associated with a higher risk of dying from all causes as well as from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. In addition, the combination of reduced activity and longer sitting time every day is linked with a higher risk of death from any cause, a new study finds. Staying active and reducing sitting time may lower the risks, authors of the report wrote.
The report was published Oct. 26 in BMC Geriatrics.
Researchers set out to explore the association between physical activity level and sitting time in relation to mortality. The team examined data on 1,786 older adults from Taiwan aged 65 and up. The average age of participants was 73.8 years old.
The team evaluated physical activity levels and time spent sitting using a self-reported checklist and survey. Participants were split into four groups: 34.1% who reported high physical activity and less sitting time, 35% who had high physical activity and long sitting times, 18.9% who had less physical activity and longer sitting times, and 12% who had both lower activity levels and shorter sitting times.
The team used the World Health Organization’s guidelines on physical activity, which state that older adults should engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week, or at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity per week.
Investigators followed up with the participants over a median of 11.1 years. During that time, 599 people died.
Crude all-cause mortality was 32.5 per 1,000 person-years, cardiovascular disease mortality was 8.6 per 1,000 person-years, expanded cardiovascular mortality (death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease) was 11.9 per 1,000 person-years, and non-expanded CVD mortality was 20.8/1,000 person-years.
Among the participants, 30.91% of individuals were classified as inactive, 44.29% were active, and 24.8% were highly active; 19.65% of people sat less than four hours a day, 26.43% of people sat from four to just under six hours per day, 29.96% sat from six to eight hours per day, and 23.96% sat for more than eight hours a day.
Being inactive, whether people sat longer or for shorter times during the day, was linked with the highest risk for all death factors compared to those who were active.
“Our study findings revealed that physical activity lower than WHO guideline is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and expanded and non-expanded cardiovascular disease mortality. In addition, lower physical activity combined with long sitting time is associated with an elevated risk of all-cause mortality,” the authors wrote.
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