Sitting down and catching a break is good once in a while but too much of it has been linked to increased risk of developing conditions including mental health disorder and even cancer.
Now, a new study suggests that prolonged sitting is linked to an increased risk of liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
The study, which appears in the Journal of Hepatology, was conducted by researchers from South Korea's Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Sungkyunkwan University and led by Seungho Ryu.
To arrive at their findings, researchers studied over 139,000 healthy Korean men and women with an average age of 39.9 years.
The researchers found that those individuals who sat for over 10 hours every day had nine percent more risk of developing NAFLD, Live Science reported.
The increased risk lingered on despite regular exercise. Those who remained physically active but still spend more time sitting showed increased risk compared to those who tend to sit less.
It only suggests that even though one performs regular intense physical activities, he or she is not fully protected from the risks that come with prolonged sitting, according to lead author Ryu.
Furthermore, Ryu added that once the findings are established, people should be encouraged not only to do regular exercise but also avoid sitting for too long to avoid the risk of getting NAFLD.
NAFLD results from the accumulation of extra fat in the liver cells and is not caused by drinking alcohol.
The liver naturally contains fat, but too much of it results to the condition. NAFLD is more likely to be seen in overweight and obese individuals who have high cholesterol levels or diabetes, both of which have also been linked to prolonged sitting.
According to liverfoundation.org, there are no drugs that are intended for NAFLD. However, lifestyle changes — observing healthy diet and doing regular exercise — do the trick in taking care of the liver and reverse early stage NAFLD.
