A recent study found that spending more than four hours a day sitting in front of the TV increases one's risk of getting obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by 78 per cent. Scientists at the Harvard Medical School monitored the health of around 138,000 people for 10-18 years. They found that increased levels of sedentary behaviour and corresponding low levels of physical activity, increased the risk of OSA.
OSA is a condition in which one's airways can become completely blocked at night, interrupting normal breathing and leading to snoring and disrupted sleep. If left untreated, it can increase the risk of cancer, glaucoma, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, type 2 diabetes and cognitive and behavioural disorders.
Paper author and epidemiologist Tianyi Huang of the Harvard Medical School, said, “We saw a clear relationship between levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and OSA risk. People who followed the current World Health Organization physical activity guidelines of getting at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and spent less than four hours per day sitting watching TV, had substantially lower OSA risk.”
They added, “Importantly, we saw that any additional increase in physical activity, and/or a reduction in sedentary hours, could have benefits that reduce the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnoea. The difference in OSA risk between sedentary work and time spent sitting watching TV could be explained by other behaviours that are related to those activities.”
“For example, snacking and drinking sugary drinks is more likely to go along with watching TV compared with being sedentary at work or elsewhere, such as sitting during travelling. This could lead to additional weight gain, which we know to be a risk factor OSA.”
While none of the participants had sleep apnoea at the start of the investigation, 8,733 participants had been diagnosed with the condition by the end of the study period. The team found that participants found that those who engaged in more physical activity had a significantly lower risk of developing OSA. Those who ran the equivalent of three hour's worth were 54 per cent less likely to develop the disorder than those who only got the equivalent amount of exercise as walking for two hours a week.
European Respiratory Society president Anita Simonds said, “Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common and pervasive disorder that can have a serious impact on the quality of people’s lives. Although OSA can be managed with modern treatments, only a minority of studies focus on prevention. Health professionals should prioritise prevention and support people who are at-risk of developing OSA to be more active before it is too late. This study adds to the evidence on the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle in preventing lung disease, and it is encouraging that even a small increase in physical activity or reduction in sedentary hours could reap potential benefits.”
