Sedentary time is associated with the metabolic syndrome in older adults with mobility limitations - The LIFE Study

• Authors: Robert T. Mankowski, University of Florida; Mylene Aubertin-Leheudre, University of Florida; Daniel P. Beavers, Wake Forest University; Anda Botoseneanu, Yale University; Thomas W. Buford, University of Florida; Timothy Church, Pennington Biomed Res Ctr; Nancy W. Glynn, University of Pittsburgh; Abby C. King, Stanford University; Christine Liu, Boston University; Todd M. Manini, University of Florida; Anthony P. Marsh, Wake Forest University; Mary McDermott, Northwest Med Fac Fdn; Joe Nocera, Emory University; Marco Pahor, University of Florida; Elsa S. Strotmeyer; Stephen D. Anton, University of Florida; The LIFE Research Group
• Journal Title: Experimental Gerontology
• Volume: Volume 70
• Publisher: Elsevier | 2015-10-01, Pages 32-36
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2015.06.018
• Subjects: Gerontology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Rehabilitation and Therapy
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Geriatrics & Gerontology; Aging; Accelerometry; Glucose; Disability; Waist circumference; PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY; CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK; STYLE INTERVENTIONS; BEHAVIOR; INDEPENDENCE; GUIDELINES; EXERCISE

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological and objective studies report an association between sedentary time and lower risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk factors in young and middle-age adults. To date, there is a lack of objective data on the association between sedentary time and MetS among older adults. Methods: The association between objectively measured sedentary time (accelerometry) with MetS and MetS components was examined in a large sample of older adults with mobility limitations (N = 1198; mean age = 78.7 ± 5.3 years) enrolled in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study. Participants were divided into tertiles according to percentage of daily sedentary time, and the relation between sedentary time with MetS and MetS components was examined after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and BMI. Results: Participants in the highest sedentary time tertile had significantly higher odds of MetS (OR = 1.54) (95% CI 1.13 to 2.11) in comparison with participants in the lowest tertile (p = 0.03). Participants in the highest sedentary time tertile had larger waist circumference (p = 0.0001) and lower HDL-C (p = 0.0003) than participants in the lowest sedentary time tertile. Conclusions: Sedentary time was strongly related to higher odds of MetS. These results, based on objectively measured sedentary time, suggest that sedentary time may represent an important risk factor for the development of MetS in older adults with high likelihood for disability.