People who sit for prolonged periods of time have a greater risk of developing colon cancer down the road, according to a report in the American Association For Cancer Research.
The study suggests that extended inactivity is itself a risk factor for noncancerous colon polyps, benign tumors that can give rise to colorectal cancer, CBS News reported.
Researchers looked at people who've had a history of polyps and followed them for a number of years. It found that those who were in sitting positions, whether they were on a computer, reading, writing, or doing other things 12 hours a day were at a much greater risk of developing problems than those who sat seven hours a day.
"Sedentary behavior is emerging as a risk factor for poor health," study author Christine Sardo Molmenti, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said in a conference news release. "Even among those who fulfill daily recommendations for physical activity, lengthy periods of sedentary behavior have been associated with early morbidity and mortality, leading to the 'active couch potato' paradigm."
Researchers looked at activity levels among more than 1,700 men and women, and found that the more leisurely the men's lifestyle, the greater their risk for precancerous polyps. The recurrence of polyps was greater among men, but not women, who are relatively less active.
Men who spent 11 or more hours a day in seated endeavors were found to be 45 percent more likely to develop polyps than those who spent less than seven hours a day engaged in sedentary behavior.
HealthDay News reported that although the study found an association between sedentary behavior and increased risk of colon polyps in men, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
The researchers said no protective link has been established between being more active and having a lower risk for colorectal cancer.
