Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

The risks from physical inactivity for poor health are '...similar to the established risk factors of smoking and obesity.'

Main

Lee I-M, Shiroma EJ et al. Lancet 2012; 380: 219–29

In this study, the risks from physical inactivity were measured by calculating population attributable fraction ('the effect of a risk factor on disease incidence in a population'). Worldwide, they found that physical inactivity causes 6% of the burden of disease from coronary heart disease, 7% from type 2 diabetes, and 10% for both breast cancer and colon cancer. Whimsically perhaps, a historical study is cited that examined the dangers of exercise by comparing the longevity of Cambridge sportsmen with intellectuals. The sportsmen did not die younger. The authors comment that the 'breathtaking feats of athletes competing in the 2012 Olympic Games' or even those Cambridge sportsmen fifty years ago do not have to be emulated, but merely '15–30 min a day of brisk walking'.