Physical Wellness

Sitting For A Long Time Increases The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

By Jenn Loro | Update Date: Feb 04, 2016 12:17 PM EST

Sedentary lifestyle will surely bring you closer to greater health risks and in this case, Type 2 diabetes in a recently published study featured in the scientific journal Diabetologia.

A Maastricht University-led study in the Netherlands reports that long hours of sitting is linked to increased risks for Type 2 Diabetes. The researchers contend though that risks is unlikely to go away even if you put more time and effort exercising.

The study concludes that every extra hour spent sitting heightens the odds of getting Type 2 diabetes by 22%.

"We found that people with diabetes spend more time sitting than people without diabetes -- about 26 minutes more [a day]", said senior study author Julianne van der Berg as quoted saying by WebMD.

According to the Mirror, the study involved the observation of nearly 2, 500 volunteers wearing an accelerometer device that monitors and records physical movements in order determine the connection between inactive lifestyle and diabetes.

In a report by CTV News, 56% (or 1,395) were found to have normal glucose metabolism, 15% (or 388) "had an impaired glucose metabolism", and lastly, 29% (or 714) were known to have developed Type 2 diabetes.

The researchers further revealed that participants diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes spent a large chunk of their time being inactive raising the related risk for the disease by 22%.

However, the study authors were also quick to caution that their research did not intend whatsoever to establish a causal link between sedentary lifestyle and diabetes.

"The pattern in which sedentary time was accumulated...was only weakly associated with an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome. Future studies in participants with type 2 diabetes should be conducted to confirm our results, and to explore dose-response relationships and causality," the researchers said in an official statement as quoted in part by Medical Daily.

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