Many health experts now compare sitting to the effects of smoking, highlighting the significant impact our sedentary lifestyle has on our health. Study after study highlights this worrying reality. So how does this corporate-driven lifestyle affect our health?
What do the experts say?
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Recent studies exploring women’s health have discovered a surprising connection: those who spend more than six hours a day sitting may double their chances of developing uterine fibroids.
Research suggests a direct correlation between sedentary behavior and the risk of uterine fibroids. In fact, the study revealed that women who sat for six or more hours a day faced twice the risk compared to those who sat for less than two hours each day.
Fibroids are noncancerous growths made of muscle and tissue that develop inside the uterus, on its wall, or sometimes even outside it.
Why does sitting affect women so much?
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The study authors suggest a well-established link between sedentary habits and chronic inflammation, along with a vitamin D deficiency. This correlation could offer a possible explanation for the increased risk of uterine fibroids associated with prolonged sitting.
Previous studies have highlighted the link between inactive routines and cancers such as endometrial, ovarian and breast cancer, all of which are influenced by estrogen. Since fibroids also thrive on estrogen, health experts set out to investigate whether there is a potential connection between sedentary behavior and fibroid development.
How did researchers find a link between sitting and fibroids?
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A team of researchers from Kunming University in China carried out a study involving more than 6,600 women between the ages of 30 and 55 who had not yet reached menopause.
The participants were classified into four groups according to the daily duration of their session: those who sat less than two hours a day, those who sat two to four hours a day (representing 61% of women), individuals who sat for four to six hours a day, and those who sit for six or more hours a day.
A total of 562 women (8.5% of participants) had fibroids, with the highest rates observed among those over 50 years of age.
In addition to fibroids in women, a study conducted jointly by the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona also suggested that people who spend 10 hours or more sitting each day could face a higher risk of developing dementia.
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Categories: Health
Source: vtt.edu.vn