University of Glasgow Study Links 1 More Sitting Hour to 10% Higher Cancer Death Risk
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 11
University of Glasgow Study Links 1 More Sitting Hour to 10% Higher Cancer Death Risk
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 11
Summary
91,292 U.K. adults tracked for about 12 years showed lower cancer-death risk when they broke up sitting with brief activity instead of staying sedentary for 30 minutes or more.
Each extra hour a day of prolonged sitting was associated with a 10% higher risk of cancer death, while replacing one sitting hour with light activity was linked to a 12% lower risk.
Smaller activity swaps also mattered: replacing 30 minutes with moderate activity was tied to an 8% lower risk, and replacing five minutes with vigorous activity to a 22% lower risk.
PLOS Medicine published the observational study, whose authors said it cannot prove causation because monitors captured only one week of behavior and the volunteer sample may not reflect the wider population.
Outside experts said the findings add to evidence that how people sit—not just how long—matters, reinforcing advice to stand or move every 30 to 60 minutes.