Clinical Edge

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Prolonged Sedentary Time and Metabolic Disease

Study looks at association in young adults

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Higher sedentary time (ST) was independently related to insulin resistance, diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) but did not predict 5-year changes in metabolic parameters or incidence of metabolic outcomes, according to a study of 2,027 participants aged 30 to 50 years. Study details included:

• Each additional hour per day of ST was associated with 3% higher fasting insulin resistance but not 5-year changes in metabolic parameters.

• Having ≥10 hours/day vs <6 hours/day of ST was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.74 for IGT and 3.80 for diabetes.

• ST was not associated with prevalent IFG, prevalent prediabetes by HbA1c, or 5-year incidence of any metabolic outcomes.

Citation: Barone Gibbs B, Gabriel KP, Reis JP, et al. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between objectively measured sedentary time and metabolic disease: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Diabetes Care 2015;38:1835-1843. doi: 10.2337/dc15-0226.

Commentary: There has been a fantastic accumulation of evidence over the last 15 years showing the importance of exercise in decreasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.1 A recent scientific advisory stated that the elimination of health risk behaviors, including poor-quality diet, excess energy intake, physical inactivity, and smoking might prevent 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as 40% of cancers.2 Recently studies have shown that sedentary time, as a separate indicator from exercise, confers an increased risk for mortality. Compared to those who had low levels of sedentary time and high levels of exercise, 1 study showed that those who had greater sedentary time and low exercise level had an almost 8-fold increase in age adjusted all-cause mortality.3 Clearly, it is time to take a break from reading and get up and take a walk. —Neil Skolnik, MD

1. Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al. American Cancer Society guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention. CA: Cancer J Clin 2012;62:30–67. doi: 10.3322/caac.20140.

2. Spring B, Ockene JK, Gidding SS, et al. AHA – Science Advisory: Better population health through behavior change in adults. Circulation 2013;128:2169-2176. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000435173.25936.

3. Schmid D, Ricci C, Leitzmann MF. Associations of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time with all-cause mortality in US adults: The NHANES Study. PLoS One. 2015; 10(3): e0119591. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119591.

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