Prolonged Sitting Linked to Mortality

A prospective national cohort study in the US suggests both the total volume of sedentary time and its accrual in prolonged, uninterrupted bouts are associated with all-cause mortality. The study included 7985 black and white adults aged 45 years or older. Sedentary time was measured using a hip-mounted accelerometer. 340 participants died during a median follow-up of 4.0 years. In multivariable-adjusted models, greater total sedentary time and longer sedentary bout duration were both associated with a higher risk for all-cause mortality. Participants classified as high for both sedentary characteristics (high sedentary time [≥12.5 h/d] and high bout duration [≥10 min/bout]) had the greatest risk for death. The findings suggest that reducing and interrupting sedentary time, such as taking a movement break every half hour, may reduce risk for death. Source: http://annals.org/