INA-Follow up
A recent study revealed that prolonged sitting without movement may increase the risk of developing cancer and related death, emphasizing that interrupting continuous sitting with simple movements can help reduce these risks.
The study relied on data from 91,292 participants in the UK Biobank project. Participants wore devices to measure physical activity for seven days and were then followed for an average of 12.4 years.
The results showed that each additional hour of continuous sitting was associated with a 9% increased risk of death from cancer, along with a higher likelihood of developing several types of cancer, particularly those linked to obesity, such as cancers of the esophagus, liver, kidney, pancreas, colon, breast, ovary, and thyroid, as well as cancers associated with type 2 diabetes.
Conversely, the study indicated that replacing one hour of continuous sitting per day with light physical activity contributed to a 12% reduction in the risk of death from cancer.
The researchers stressed that the study does not prove a direct causal relationship, but it reinforces the importance of reducing periods of continuous sitting and maintaining regular movement, along with physical activity, as part of cancer prevention methods.
