Sedentary lifestyle for 20 years may double mortality risks: ESC 2019 update

Sedentary lifestyle for 20 years may double mortality risk as compared to being physically active, revealed results from the HUNT study presented at the today at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology.

The study showed that people who were physically inactive had a 2-fold higher risk of all-cause death and 2.7-fold greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Those with moderate activity at both time points had 60% and 90% raised risks of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths, respectively, compared to the reference group (those who are physically active).

Study author Dr Trine Moholdt of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway said: “Our findings imply that to get the maximum health benefits of physical activity in terms of protection against premature all-cause and cardiovascular death, you need to continue being physically active. You can also reduce your risk by taking up physical activity later in life, even if you have not been active before.”

The aim of this study was to assess how changes in physical activity over 22 years were related to subsequent death from all causes and from cardiovascular disease. Most studies investigating the relationship between physical activity and longevity have asked participants about their level of physical activity only once, and then followed them for several years. But physical activity is a behavior that changes in many people, so it is important to investigate how such changes over time relate to the risk of death in the future.

The HUNT study invited all residents of Norway aged 20 and older to participate in 1984–1986, 1995–1997, and 2006–2008. At all three time points, individuals were asked about their frequency and duration of leisure-time physical activity. The current study used the data from the first and third surveys.

A total of 23,146 men and women were included in the analysis. Physical activity was categorized as inactive, moderate (less than two hours a week), and high (two or more hours per week). Participants were divided into groups according to their activity levels at each survey.

Physical activity data were linked to information on deaths until the end of 2013 using the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. The risk of death in each physical activity group was compared to the reference group (those who reported a high level of exercise during both surveys). The analyses were adjusted for factors known to influence prognoses such as body mass index, age, sex, smoking, education level, and blood pressure.

Compared to the reference group, people who were inactive in both 1984–1986 and 2006–2008 had a 2-fold higher likelihood of all-cause death and 2.7-fold greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Those with moderate activity at both time points had 60% and 90% raised risks of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths, respectively, compared to the reference group.

Dr Moholdt noted that there are clear recommendations about the number of exercise adults should do to optimize their health, which is 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.

But she added: “An important point to make here is that physical activity levels even below the advised levels will give health benefits. Physical fitness is more important than the amount of exercise.