By Stephen Beech via SWNS
Couch potato kids are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack in later life, warns a new study.
Researchers found that children who are physically inactive may have high cholesterol in early adulthood and subsequent heart health issues in their mid-forties.
High cholesterol during childhood has been previously associated with early signs of heart disease when people reach their mid-twenties – and an increased risk of premature cardiovascular death in their mid-forties.
Numerous clinical trials aimed at lowering cholesterol levels in young people have had minimal or no effect, say the Finnish researchers.
Study author Dr. Andrew Agbaje, of the University of Eastern Finland, said: “Our study shows increased sedentary time in childhood may contribute to two-thirds of the total increase in a person’s cholesterol levels before their mid-twenties.
“This suggests childhood sedentariness may be a major risk factor for elevated cholesterol and subsequent premature heart attack or stroke when individuals reach their mid-forties.
“We also discovered light-intensity physical activity from childhood maybe five to eight times more effective than moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at reversing the adverse effect of sedentary time on high cholesterol.”
The research team studied activity tracker data and repeated measures of cholesterol in 11-year-old English youngsters followed for up to 13 years.
They assessed the association between time spent sitting down and high cholesterol levels and found sedentary time increased from around six hours per day in childhood to nine hours per day in young adulthood, and contributed nearly 70 percent to the increase in their overall cholesterol levels.
The team also determined light physical activity decreased from six hours per day in childhood to three hours per day in young adulthood but was cumulatively associated with reduced total cholesterol.
Increased total body fat slightly reduced the effect of light physical activity on total cholesterol, according to the findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was relatively stable at around 50 minutes per day from childhood until young adulthood and was only associated with reduced total cholesterol.
But Dr. Agbaje said increased total body fat “seriously diminished” the effect of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on total cholesterol.
He added: “Engaging in light physical activity for three to four hours per day may be an effective way to reduce high cholesterol and avoid heart health issues later in life.”
