Sedentary Time in Childhood Tied to High Cholesterol in Adulthood

FRIDAY, Dec. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Sedentary time during childhood is tied to worse lipid profiles in young adulthood, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Andrew O. Agbaje, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, examined the associations of sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) from childhood through young adulthood with lipid levels. The analysis included 792 children (age 11 years) participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children U.K. birth cohort followed for up to 13 years.

The findings showed that total fat mass partly mediated the inverse associations of LPA (by 13 percent for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, by 28 percent for triglyceride, and by 6 percent for total cholesterol). Inverse associations of MVPA with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol were mediated by total fat mass by 37 and 48 percent, respectively, attenuating the effect on total cholesterol to nonsignificance. Higher MVPA at age 15 years was associated with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at 24 years but not vice versa.

"Engaging in light physical activity for three to four hours/day may be an effective way to reduce high cholesterol and avoid heart health issues later in life," Agbaje said in a statement.

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