Study finds sedentary lifestyle may pose higher early death risk than smoking

LONDON — A study by Cambridge University behavioral scientist Dr. Chris McDonald and his team suggests that a sedentary lifestyle may raise the risk of early death more than smoking. Published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the research tracked more than 122,000 people over eight years and found that low muscle strength increased the risk of early death by 200%, while a severe decline in cardiovascular endurance raised it by 400%. Participants were grouped into five categories based on their fitness levels. Those in the highest endurance group had an 80% lower risk of death compared with those in the lowest group. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults engage in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week, along with strength training on at least two days. McDonald said current guidelines target only the minimum levels needed for health, and that greater endurance and muscle strength significantly reduce mortality risk. In a separate analysis combining twelve studies, smokers were found to face more than three times the risk of sudden cardiac death compared with non-smokers, with every additional 10 cigarettes per day raising that risk by 58%. The researchers noted that the combination of physical inactivity with smoking or obesity pushed mortality risk above 230% in some scenarios.