Here’s Why Too Much Time Spent In Sedentary Activities Raises Stroke Risk Health

Adults under the age of 60 whose days are filled with sedentary leisure (which include using the computer, TV or reading) and little physical activity are at risk of developing, new research finds. Higher stroke than more physically active people.

The results of the study were published in the journal ‘Stroke’, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

According to statistics from the American Heart Association, American adults spend an average of 10.5 hours per day connected to media such as smartphones, computers or television, and adults aged 50 to 64 spend the most time of all age groups connected to the media.

The data also shows that stroke-related deaths declined in 2010 among adults 65 and older. However, the number of stroke deaths appears to be increasing among young adults, aged 35 to 64, from 14.7 per 100,000 adults in 2010 to 15.4 per 100,000 in 2016.

Previous research suggests that the more time adults spend sedentary, the higher their risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, and almost 9 in 10 strokes could be attributed to modifiable risk factors such than sedentary behaviors.

“Sedentary time is increasing in the United States and Canada,” said study author Raed A. Joundi, MD, DPhil, stroke researcher in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Cumming School of Medicine. the University of Calgary in Canada.

“Sedentary time is the duration of waking activities that are done sitting or lying down. Sedentary leisure time is specific to sedentary activities performed outside of work,” Joundi explained.

“It is important to understand whether prolonged periods of inactivity can lead to stroke in young people, as stroke can cause premature death or significantly impair function and quality of life,” Joundi added.

In this study, researchers examined the health and lifestyle information of 143,000 adults with no history of stroke, heart disease or cancer who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey during years 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007-2012. Researchers followed participants for an average of 9.4 years (until December 31, 2017) and identified strokes through linkages with hospital records.

They reviewed the time spent each day in sedentary leisure activities (hours spent on the computer, reading and watching television) and categorized them into categories of less than four hours per day; four to less than six hours a day; six to less than eight hours a day; and eight hours or more per day.

They also divided physical activity into quartiles, or four equal categories, where the lowest quartile was the least physically active and equated to walking 10 minutes or less per day.

“Walking 10 minutes or less a day is less than half of what the American Heart Association’s physical activity guidelines recommend,” Joundi said.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours, of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

Analysis of study participants revealed:

1. During the follow-up period, an average of 9.4 years, 2,965 strokes occurred. Almost 90 percent of them were ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke, which occurs when a vessel supplying the brain with blood is blocked.

2. The average daily leisure time for all participants was 4.08 hours. People aged 60 and under had an average sedentary leisure time of 3.9 hours per day. The average daily leisure time was 4.4 hours for adults aged 60 to 79 and 4.3 hours for those 80 and over.

3. Adults aged 60 and under who had low physical activity and reported eight or more hours of sedentary leisure per day had a 4.2 times higher risk of stroke than those reporting less than four hours of sedentary leisure per day. .

4. The most inactive group – those reporting eight or more hours of sedentary time and low physical activity – had a 7 times higher risk of stroke than those reporting less than four hours of sedentary time per day and levels higher levels of physical activity.

“Adults 60 and under should be aware that very high sedentary time with little time spent in physical activity can have adverse health effects, including an increased risk of stroke,” said Joundi.

“Physical activity has a very important role in that it reduces the actual time spent sedentary, and it also appears to decrease the negative impact of excessive sedentary time,” continued Joundi.

“Doctor’s recommendations and public health policies should emphasize increased physical activity and reduced sedentary time in young adults in combination with other healthy habits to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and accidents. cerebrovascular vessels, ”Joundi explained.

A major limitation of the study results was that the survey did not ask participants about sedentary time related to occupation; it could mean that sedentary time is underestimated among people who have office jobs, for example.

The co-authors are Scott Patten, MD, PhD; Jeanne Williams, M.Sc.; and Eric E. Smith, MD, MPH Dr. Joundi was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Other author disclosures are listed in the manuscript, and no external funding was reported for this study.

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