Sitting too long may increase your cancer risk

CNN News | June 17, 2014

If you’re spending a lot of time sitting every day, either in front of the TV or at work, you may be at higher risk for developing certain types of cancer, according to new research published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The study found an additional two hours a day of sedentary behavior was linked to an 8% increase in colon cancer risk, a 10% increase in endometrial cancer risk and a 6% increase in risk for lung cancer. It did not find the same connection for breast, rectum, ovary and prostate cancers or for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Researchers came to these conclusions by analyzing 43 existing studies – that included more than 4 million study participants and 68,936 cancer cases – to measure the relationship between hours spent sitting and certain types of cancers.

It’s important to note that while the study identifies a link between sedentary behavior and an increased risk for certain cancers, the research doesn't prove cause and effect.

“Does sitting in front of the TV cause colon cancer? No,” said Dr. Martin Heslin, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “But the recommendations (of the study) are awesome.”

“You can affect TV time by turning it off," said Heslin, though he acknowledges it's not so easy to turn off work if you're stuck in an office all day.

In that case, Heslin suggests looking for opportunities to leave your desk, such as standing up while working or taking a walk, to reduce the number of hours you spend sitting down.

"The findings of our study may encourage public health efforts to expand physical activity recommendations to reduce time spent in sedentary behavior,” Schmid said.

Previous studies support the findings in Schmid’s study. A 2012 study conducted by the National Institutes of Health concluded that sitting for several hours a day is bad for you, even if you are physically active. Researchers found even exercising at least 150 minutes each week – the generally accepted public health guideline for physical activity – can’t reverse the negative effects of sitting down for hours.

In that study, sitting increased an individual's risk for major chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast and colon cancers.

Source: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/17/sitting-too-long-may-increase-your-cancer-risk/?hpt=he_c2