The risk of having sleep apnea would be accentuated by a sedentary lifestyle. Not watching too much television and doing more physical exercise could reduce the risk of developing this pathology.
- A more sedentary job increases the risk of developing sleep apnea by 49% compared to less sedentary jobs.
- Watching television for more than four hours a day increases the risk by 78%.
At least 30% of people over 65 are affected by sleep apnea, according to theNational Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). This syndrome is manifested by repeated and uncontrolled interruptions of breathing during sleep. In general, patients undergo, without being aware of it, micro-awakenings during the night which disturbs their sleep and has consequences in their daily life: drowsiness during the day, difficulty concentrating or memory. Some also have cardiovascular complications which can, in the worst cases, be fatal. Statistically, sleep apnea affects more men than women. The risk factors are, among others, overweight and diabetes. Indeed, approximately 16% of type 2 diabetic patients suffer from sleep apnea.
Patients with sedentary work are 49% more likely
According to a study recently published in the journal European Respiratory, being more active and spending less time watching television would be associated with a lower risk of developing sleep apnea syndrome, also called obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAS). To arrive at their results, the researchers analyzed data from 137,917 patients. For each, they counted the time they spent sitting at work as well as the physical activity they did, including walking. Thus, they found that the least active people were also those who were most likely to develop sleep apnea syndrome.
In detail, participants with more sedentary jobs had a 49% higher risk of developing OSAHS than those with less sedentary jobs. Moreover, for those who watched television for more than four hours a day, this same percentage was 78%.
Each week, do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity
Nevertheless, scientists have been unable to determine whether inactivity and watching television cause the development of sleep apnea or whether the health effects of OSAHS encourage sedentary behavior. “Watching television is strongly linked to sleep apnea, points out Tianyi Huang, one of the authors. But watching TV is also linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”.
The authors emphasize that even if the causal relationship is not defined, in any case, it is essential to have an active lifestyle. The objective is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle as much as possible, that is to say having little or no physical activity with an energy expenditure close to zero. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person is considered inactive below 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intense sport per week. Thus, it is recommended to practice at least two to three sports sessions per week and to walk at least 10,000 steps per day. In addition to sleep apnea, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the risk factors for several pathologies: impaired cognitive functions, reduced neuronal activity, liver disease, cardiovascular disease… So, even on vacation, don’t forget to take a short walk every day.
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