Evaluating the evidence on sitting, smoking, and health: Is sitting really the new smoking?

Abstract

Sitting has frequently been equated with smoking, with some sources even suggesting that smoking is safer than sitting. This commentary highlights how sitting and smoking are not comparable. The most recent meta-analysis of sedentary behavior and health outcomes reported a hazard ratio of 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 1.41) for all-cause mortality. The relative risk (RR) of death from all causes among current smokers, compared with those who have never smoked, is 2.80 (95% CI = 2.72, 2.88) for men and 2.76 for women (95%CI = 2.69, 2.84). The risk is substantially higher for heavy smokers (< 40 cigarettes per day: RR= 4.08 [95% CI = 3.68, 4.52] for men, and 4.41 [95% CI = 3.70, 5..