Sedentary Childhood Predicts Adult Heart Problems
Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today
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THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT
It’s abundantly clear that just about any physical activity promotes better health. Lack of movement — a sedentary lifestyle marked by lots of sitting — sets us up for myriad chronic diseases, lousy moods and serious mental health problems, and shorter lives.
The risks begin accumulating early in life, new research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism confirms.
“Increased sedentary time in childhood may contribute to two-thirds of the total increase in a person’s cholesterol levels before their mid-20s,” said study author Andrew O. Agbaje, MD, from the University of Eastern Finland. “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-40s.”
The findings were based on cholesterol measurements and data from activity trackers collected across 13 years among participants who were 11 years old at the start of the research.
As much other research has suggested, it doesn’t take super intense activity to make a difference — even short breaks from sitting to take a 5-minute walk have been proven beneficial. The new study indicated a striking benefit from modest movement:
“We also discovered [that] light-intensity physical activity from childhood may be 5–8 times more effective than moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at reversing the adverse effect of sedentary time on high cholesterol,” Agbaje said. “Engaging in light physical activity for 3–4 hours/day may be an effective way to reduce high cholesterol and avoid heart health issues later in life.”
HEALTHY READING
A selection of recent informative and insightful Wise & Well articles:
The Cold Medicine Conundrum
After a pandemic-related hiatus, the common cold is baaaaack, this nurse practitioner and health coach has witnessed. But in the meantime, we’ve learned that many common over-the-counter cold medicines flat-out don’t work. You gotta wonder: Should we even try to medicate a cold? Learn how to identify a cold from other more serious respiratory illnesses, what to do and — importantly — what not to do.
— Elizabeth Knight, PhD
’Tis the Season for the Holiday Heart Attack
The last week of the year is the deadliest time for cardiac issues, with Christmas Day leading the way. Learn the sobering truth about the Christmas coronary and how to ensure your own survival during this most stressful time of the year.
— By Kathleen Murphy
Why I Really Wish I’d Played Team Sports
A total non-athlete regrets many important lessons not learned: from plotting and power struggles and learning how to lead a team to channeling the competitive camaraderie of dolphins, not to mention yelling at screens in sports bars and preparing himself for war.
— By Niall Stewart
Excessive Thyroid Medication Linked to Cognitive Disorders
Like some 19% of US adults, this writer and former internist takes thyroid medication. But a new study finds many people inadvertently take too much. So she’s taking a new approach to monitoring her dosage, and here she explains everything a person on thyroid meds needs to know.
— By Annie Foley
How to Help When a Loved One Has Cancer
You might be surprised what people with cancer want from you, explains this nurse, based on her 20 years experience combined with new research in which people with cancer talk about what sort of input, outreach and comments from family and friends they find helpful — and unhelpful.
— By Andrea Romeo RN, BN
Unleash the Power of Creativity for Mental Wellness
Being creative is core to this writer’s life, serving as a powerful conduit for emotional and cognitive rejuvenation. Here he explains the science revealing how creativity can lower stress, promote mental agility, and curb cognitive decline. Then he offers several, um, creative steps you might take to create your own canvas of creativity.
— By James F Hickey
People With Rare Conditions Deserve Medications
Not only are pharmaceutical companies adept at manipulating prospective patients, they’re also pretty good at stretching government regulations. The Orphan Drug Act is designed to encourage development of medications to treat rare diseases, and while it sometimes works, drug companies use it to their advantage in ways the government never intended.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD
What a Kid’s Behavior Predicts About Their Future
Behavioral characteristics from infancy through high school have been shown to stick with people across time, to varying degrees. And certain aspects of that behavior — as early as kindergarten — presage earnings potential for decades to come. Some research even indicates “good” early behavior can predict a longer, healthier, happier life. While no childhood behavior predicts any adult outcomes with precision, there are some strong propensities.
— By Robert Roy Britt
PLUS: A WISE & WELL 2023
Our Most Talked-About Stories of the Year
Wise & Well readers had a lot to say, especially about these 15 health and wellness articles.
RANDOM BIT OF WISDOM
“I learned years ago that it’s okay to do this. To seek out small spaces for me, to stop and imagine myself alone. People are too much sometimes. Friends, acquaintances, enemies, strangers. It doesn’t matter; they all crowd. Even if they’re all the way across the room, they crowd. I take a moment of silence and think: I am here. I am okay.”
― Francesca Zappia, Eliza and Her Monsters
Wise & Well writers are physicians, psychiatrists, research scientists, dieticians, fitness experts, journalists and other professionals who share their expertise to help you make tomorrow a little better than today. Like what you see? Please follow Wise & Well and/or subscribe to this newsletter. — Rob
