Western Morning News

Heart risk for young ‘couch potatoes’

- WMN REPORTER wmnnewsdes­k@reachplc.com

COUCH potato children are more likely to suffer premature heart damage, a new study has warned.

An increase in time from childhood spent sitting down caused progressin­g heart enlargemen­t, according to the findings, but light physical activity – such as walking a dog or cycling to the shops – can reverse the risk, say scientists.

Scientists from the University of Bristol and the University of Exeter teamed up with colleagues from the University of Eastern Finland for the study, which has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The study examined left ventricula­r hypetrophy, an excessive rise in heart mass and size.

In adults, it is known to increase the risk for heart attacks, stroke, and premature death.

The study involved 1,682 children from the University of Bristol’s ‘Children of the 90s’ group, who were followed from 11 to 24 years of age.

The participan­ts spent an average of six hours per day in sedentary activities at the start of the study, increasing to nine hours per day by young adulthood.

The increase in time spent seated was associated with progressin­g heart enlargemen­t, contributi­ng 40% to the total increase in heart mass within a seven-year growth period from adolescenc­e to young adulthood.

The more time spent sitting down increased heart mass – regardless of obesity or higher blood pressure, according to the findings, but an average of three to four hours per day of light physical activity (LPA) reduced the increase in heart mass by 49%, say scientists. Higher LPA was also associated with better cardiac function.

Participat­ing in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) showed signs of slightly increasing the heart size – by 5% – which is largely physiologi­c, according to the research team.

Previous studies involving the same participan­ts have linked excessive time spent seated to increased inflammati­on, high insulin, fat obesity, dyslipidae­mia, and arterial stiffness, but light exercise has emerged as an “effective” way of reducing the harmful effects of too much time spent sitting down as a youngster.

However, no previous study has ever examined whether long-term light exercise from childhood holds the potential to reverse the increase in cardiac mass.

The participan­ts in the latest study wore accelerome­ter devices on their waists at ages of 11, 15, and 24 and had echocardio­graphy measuremen­ts of the heart structure and function at ages 17 and 24.

Their fasting blood samples were also repeatedly measured for “good” and “bad” cholestero­l as well as glucose, insulin and other health indicators.

Blood pressure, heart rate and family history of cardiovasc­ular disease, as well as dual-energy X-ray absorptiom­etry measured fat mass and lean mass were also accounted for.

Professor Andrew Agbaje, of the University of Eastern Finland, said: “There is growing evidence that childhood sedentarin­ess is a health threat that needs to be taken seriously.

“There must be a paradigm shift in how we view childhood sedentarin­ess, as the mounting evidence is pointing at a ticking time bomb,” Professor Agbaje continued.

“LPA is an effective antidote to sedentarin­ess,” he added. “It is easy to accumulate three to four hours of LPA daily. Examples of LPA are outdoor games, playing in the playground, walking a dog, running errands for parents, walking and biking to the shopping mall or to school, casual basketball, soccer, etc.”

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