The winter season compels us to sit at one place, under the blanket, at the ease of warmth. But aren't we all aware of the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle? And when it is winter, it makes it more so stagnant. Not just that, but now a new study from the University of Iowa says that being a couch potato could lead to 19 chronic conditions. Among the 19 chronic conditions, obesity, diabetes, depression and heart diseases also made it to the list.

Research shows that among many diseases, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, unhealthy cholesterol levels that leads to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cancer are also there. This is why any extended sitting whether at desk, behind the wheel or the screen can be harmful.

How was the study conducted?

The team of researchers from various departments at the University of Iowa conducted a detailed study where they analyzed records from over 40,000 patients at a major Midwestern hospital system. In the records, they looked at the extensive physical inactivity of these patients and how it impacted their overall health.

The study and the detailed analysis is published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease and studies.

As part of conducting the study, a 30-second exercise survey was conducted. Then, patients were also asked two questions: how many days per week they engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise and for how many minutes per session? On the basis of response, the patients were categorized into three groups:

• Inactive - 0 minutes per week
• Insufficiently active - 1-149 minutes per week
• Active - 150 minutes per week

As per Lucas Carr, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology and study's corresponding author, "This two-question survey typically takes fewer than 30 seconds for a patient to complete so it does not interfere with their visit. But it can tell us a whole lot about that patient's overall health."

What did the study find?

The study got 7,261 responses, and it found that around 60% of them met the recommended guidelines for exercising. These people met the 150 minutes or more minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, almost 36% exercised less than 150 minutes per week and 4% reported no physical activity.

The study also found that people experienced lower rates of depression. 15% of people who exercise for 150 minutes or more, or at least for some amount of time could experience depression, as compared to 26% of those who are inactive. Similarly, for obesity, the numbers are 12% versus 21% for obesity, 20% versus 35% for hypertension and the similar trend was seen in other diseases, and markers of good health, including lower resting pulse rates, and cholesterol profiles.

Patients with no physical activity carried a median of 2.16 chronic conditions, this number was 1.49 conditions in insufficiently active patients and dropped to 1.17 in active patients.

The 19 chronic conditions are:

• Obesity
• Live disease
• Psychoses
• Chronic Lung disease
• Neurological seizures
• Coagulopathy (blood clotting disorder)
• Depression
• Weight loss issues
• Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Controlled hypertension
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Anemia deficiency
• Neurological disorder affecting movement
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Auto Immune Disease
• Drug Abuse
• Hypothyroidism
• Congestive heart failure
• Vulvar disease (heart valve problem)

Metformin has remained the safe and most effective first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes for the last 60 years. The anti-diabetic drug has been known to work through the liver and gut to lower blood sugar levels and improve the way the body handles insulin.

However, a new study has, for the first time, shown that metformin probably works through the brain, and neurons in a specific region boost its anti-diabetic effects.

The findings open up potential for more targeted and effective diabetes therapies as well as for improving brain health.

The international team of researchers led by those at Baylor College of Medicine, in the US, decoded a brain-based pathway involved in metformin's ability to lower blood sugar.

They found that the widely used diabetes medication switches off a key protein and activates specific neurons, and lowers blood sugar through a previously hidden pathway.

"Metformin is not just working in the liver or the gut, it's also acting in the brain. We found that while the liver and intestines need high concentrations of the drug to respond, the brain reacts to much lower levels," said corresponding author Dr. Makoto Fukuda, associate professor of pediatrics - nutrition at Baylor.

Metformin: New Brain Pathway

The new study, published in Science Advances, targeted a small protein called Rap1 -- located in a brain region known as the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH).

Mice studies proved that metformin fights blood sugar by suppressing the activity of Rap1 in VMH.

To prove the findings, the team deployed genetically engineered mice without Rap1 in the brain.

In mice with a high-fat diet that models type 2 diabetes, low doses of metformin did not improve their blood sugar levels.

On the contrary, when metformin was delivered in very small amounts directly into the brains of diabetic mice, it effectively lowered blood sugar levels.

Further, the team found that SF1 neurons located in the VMH are helping metformin to fight diabetes.

When the team measured the electrical activity of these neurons, they found that metformin’s activity increased only when Rap1 was present

The findings demonstrated that Rap1 is required for metformin to activate these brain cells and regulate blood sugar.

"This discovery changes how we think about metformin," Dr. Fukuda said.

Also read: Indian Drug Regulator Flagged 90 Combination Medicines Sold Without Approval

Metformin: Other benefits

Metformin has also shown potential to boost fertility levels in people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) -- a condition that affects how the ovaries work.

Metformin treats PCOS by lowering insulin and blood sugar levels. This can also improve ovulation and encourage regular periods.

Metformin has previously shown its potential for slowing brain aging and improve lifespan.

While metformin is safe for most adults and children aged 10 years and older, the drug may not suitable for some people. this includes people who:

• have ever had an allergic reaction to metformin or other medicine
• have uncontrolled diabetes
• have liver or kidney problems
• have a severe infection
• are being treated for heart failure or have recently had a heart attack.

Indians are facing an increasing burden of heart diseases, and mortality is rising faster compared to other countries. A top US cardiologist has now shared the major risk factors that range from genetics to obesity to pollution.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause nearly 31 per cent of all deaths in India, according to the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2021-2023 data from the Registrar General of India, released in September 2025.

The SRS report highlighted cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death, especially among adults over 30.

Speaking exclusively to HealthandMe, Dr. Sripal Bangalore, Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, highlighted the key reasons why India is seeing a huge burden of heart diseases.

"I think it’s a combination of traditional and non-traditional risk factors. Globally, we are seeing the burden of obesity increasing, and specifically in India, genetic factors and non-traditional risk factors also play a role," Dr. Sripal said.

"There is a growing investigation into lipoprotein(a) and other causes of cardiovascular disease (in India). Obesity is a major risk factor, and I’m sure stress and pollution also add to it, with more and more data supporting these links," he added.

Data from the World Heart Federation showed that heart disease kills 28.6 lakh Indians every year. In the recent past, India has also been seeing a significantly higher rate of heart attacks and related deaths, even in children as young as 12 years old.

Also read: AHA’s New Dyslipidemia Guidelines Stress Early Screening, Lifestyle Management

What Factors Are Driving This Trend

"I think we need to know that part of it tends to be non-traditional, because in the Western world most of it is explainable by traditional risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia," Dr. Sripal said.

"What we see in India is that it is less about those risk factors, but more about non-traditional ones, including potentially genetic factors and lipoprotein(a)," the doctor added.

The Indian-origin interventional cardiologist also cited lifestyle factors such as stress and pollution that are significantly adding to the increased risk of cardiovascular events in the country.

AHA 2026 Cholesterol Guidelines: Relevance For India

Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) released cholesterol guidelines, which stressed the importance of early screening, starting with teenagers.

The guidelines call for early intervention through early screening and healthy lifestyle changes, starting from childhood.

It recommends:

• Children (9-11 years): Cholesterol screening if never done before.
• Adults (30-79 years): Evaluate 10- and 30-year ASCVD risk to determine the need for early intervention

"India is a good example where LDL levels (bad cholesterol) may not be very high, like in the Western world. Many times, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) tends to be lower, and there are other risk factors, including lipoprotein(a), which seems to be elevated here," Dr. Sripal said.

How To Improve Heart Health

The doctor also explained whether overall diet quality matters more than just cholesterol intake.

"Diet adds to the totality of everything that we do, including increasing the risk of obesity. Cholesterol may explain some part of it, but having a heart-healthy diet is critically important," Dr. Sripal said.

The cardiologist highlighted the need to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables, as consuming natural foods is critically important.

Importantly, he also emphasized at least making sure that you have a lipid panel to check your cholesterol levels.

"We are assuming that you are staying healthy and not smoking. Checking blood pressure, it depends on your age, but at least once a year, checking your lipid panel would be critically important," Dr. Sripal told HealthandMe.

As a cardiologist, he shared that to boost heart health, the key is

• to make sure that you lead a healthy lifestyle,
• stay away from smoking,
• increase physical activity,
• reduce stress.

"Pollution is one factor, and I think we can all do our part to make sure that we don’t contribute more to environmental pollution," he noted.

While India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) enforced a nationwide ban on identified single-use plastic (SUP) items from July 1, 2022, a new survey showed that violations continue to persist across major cities in the country, raising significant health and environmental risks.

The survey of 560 locations by Toxics Link -- an Indian environmental research and advocacy organization -- showed that 84 percent of sites across Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, and Bhubaneswar still use or sell banned plastic items.

Bhubaneswar recorded the highest availability of banned SUPs at 89 percent of survey locations, followed by Delhi at 86 percent, Mumbai at 85 percent, and Guwahati at 76 percent.

The survey noted that high use among street food vendors, juice shops, coconut water sellers, vegetable vendors, and ice cream parlours.

"The continued presence of banned plastic items in a majority of locations suggests that enforcement remains inconsistent,” said Ravi Agarwal, Director of Toxics Link.

“Unless implementation improves and the supply of these products is controlled, the ban will not effectively address plastic littering and pollution,” he added.

How Plastics Can Harm Your Body

Plastic carry bags, disposable plastic cutlery, cups, plates, and straws often contain chemicals like BPA and phthalates, which can interfere with the body’s hormonal balance.

BPA is an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics and resins, and its exposure has been linked to several health conditions, including an increased risk of high blood pressure.

Phthalates, another group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible, have been found to disrupt the endocrine system, leading to potential health issues.

Also read: Your Kids’ Fast-fashion Clothing May Be Laced With High Levels of Toxic Lead

Studies have proven that BPA and phthalates can mimic the body’s hormones, particularly estrogen. This interference can disrupt the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system, leading to increased blood pressure.

Plastics also contain some highly toxic chemicals, such as flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that can migrate into the environment and into human bodies.

According to a report by WWF, an average person could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic every week.

Scientific studies have proven that the health effects of plastics include cancer or changing hormone activity (known as endocrine disruption), which can lead to reproductive, growth, and cognitive impairment.

Recent evidence also indicates that humans constantly inhale and ingest microplastics through contaminated seafood, including fish and shellfish.

In addition, microplastics have been found in tap water, bottled water, and even commonly consumed beverages, such as beer and salt.

How to Reduce the Disease Risks?

The UNDP urges individuals, organizations, and governments to work together to

• manage plastic waste,
• reduce plastic usage,
• transition to a more sustainable and resilient environment.

Other options include

• Opting for BPA-free and phthalate-free options
• Switching to reusable water bottles, plates, and cutlery made from glass, stainless steel, or other safe materials can significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals.
• Avoid exposing plastic bottles or lunch boxes to high temperatures, as heat can accelerate the leaching of chemicals into the water.