A new study published today reveals that physically inactive people are more likely to be hospitalized, require intensive care and die from Covid-19. Researchers even report that a sedentary lifestyle is a greater risk factor than obesity, smoking or even hypertension.
Sedentary people more likely to develop a severe form of Covid-19
In a new study published this Wednesday, April 14, 2021 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers show that lack of exercise is associated with an increased risk, in the event of Covid-19, of having a more severe form and of die of it. To study the impact of physical inactivity on the severity of infection, hospitalization, resuscitation and death, researchers compared data from 48,440 adults infected with Covid-19 between January and October 2020, in the United States.
It found that people who were physically inactive for at least two years before the pandemic were more likely to be hospitalized, require intensive care and die from the disease compared to patients who engaged in more physical activities.
Sedentary people twice as likely to be hospitalized than the most active
Of the 48,440 patients in the study, about half had no previous illnesses such as diabetes, chronic lung disease (COPD), cardiovascular or kidney disease, and cancer. In contrast, nearly 20% of patients had one of these risk factors and 32% had two or more. Among all the participants, 15% declared themselves inactive (0 to 10 minutes of physical activity per week) and 7% ensured that they systematically respected the health guidelines (at least 150 minutes per week). The remainder reported “some activity” (11-149 minutes / week).
A total of 9% of patients were hospitalized and 2% died. Taking into account the differences due to age, ethnicity and comorbidities, the researchers concluded that sedentary people with Covid-19 were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized as the more active ones. They were also 73% more likely to need resuscitation and 2.5 times more likely to die from the infection.
Physical inactivity, a greater risk factor than obesity, smoking or high blood pressure
If the risk factors most associated with severe forms of Covid-19 are advanced age, male sex and certain pre-existing pathologies, such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, the researchers realized that by in relation to smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and cancer, ” physical inactivity was the most important risk factor in all outcomes “. Ultimately, physical inactivity as a risk factor for serious illness is only surpassed by advanced age and a history of organ transplantation according to the researchers.
