Sedentary lifestyles ‘can accelerate ageing in older women’

Elderly women who spend too much time sitting without getting the necessary exercise could be accelerating their own ageing process.

This is according to a new study from the University of California, San Diego, which assessed nearly 1,500 women aged 64 to 95 to investigate determinants of chronic disease in postmenopausal women.

It was found that women who sat for more than ten hours a day with low physical activity had cells that are biologically older by eight years than women who were less sedentary.

Individuals who spent too much time sitting were shown to have shorter telomeres, which are the caps found on the ends of DNA strands that protect chromosomes from deterioration and progressively shorten with age. Excessive sitting can accelerate this process, as do obesity and smoking.

Study leader Dr Aladdin Shadyab, at the department of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said: "Discussions about the benefits of exercise should start when we are young, and physical activity should continue to be part of our daily lives as we get older, even at 80 years old."

With over 20 years of experience within the science market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current science roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.