Prolonged Sitting Takes a Toll on Heart Health, Reveals British Study

Spending the entire day sitting may be one of the worst things for cardiovascular health, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

Scientists from University College London (UCL) examined data from 15,246 participants across five countries to explore the relationship between daily physical activity and heart health. Each participant used a portable thigh-worn device to measure activity over 24 hours and monitor their heart condition.

Researchers analyzed the impact of different activities, including sitting, standing, light and moderate-intensity activity, as well as sleep, on heart health indicators. They established a hierarchy of activities that make up a typical 24-hour day.

It was found that time spent in moderate or intense activity provides the most benefit for the heart, followed by light activity, standing, and sleep. A sedentary lifestyle ranked at the bottom of the list.

The research team developed a model to assess the impact of changing one type of activity to another during the week on heart health. Replacing just five minutes of sitting with moderate or intense activity showed a noticeable effect on heart health.

For example, in a 54-year-old woman with a BMI of 26.5, replacing a 30-minute sitting session with moderate or intense activity led to a BMI reduction of 0.64, a difference of 2.4%. Substituting sitting with physical activity could also result in a 2.5 cm (2.7%) reduction in waist circumference or a 1.33 mmol/mol (3.6%) decrease in glycated hemoglobin.

"The main conclusion of our study is that even small changes in physical activity can have a positive impact on the heart, and the intensity of movement matters. Replacing sitting with moderate or intense activity, such as running, brisk walking, or stair climbing, is the most beneficial change we observed, even if it's just for one or two minutes," noted Joe Blodgett, one of the study's co-authors.

As a reminder, the researchers previously conducted a study determining the optimal room temperature range for quality sleep among older individuals, which falls between 20°C and 25°C.