Even those who exercise regularly could face an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death if they sit for ten or more hours a day, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and presented at the American Heart Association’s conference.
Researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank, involving nearly 90,000 men and women with an average age of 62. Participants wore wrist accelerometers for seven days to record their movement. The average daily sedentary time was 9.4 hours.
After an average follow-up of eight years, the study found that more than 10.6 hours of sedentary behaviour per day were significantly associated with future heart failure and cardiovascular death. However, risks for atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction increased steadily over time without notable changes.
For participants meeting recommended levels of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous weekly physical activity, the effect of sedentary behaviour on atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction risks was significantly reduced. However, even in these individuals, high risks for heart failure and mortality persisted.
Researchers noted that replacing just 30 minutes of sedentary time daily with any physical activity could lower cardiovascular health risks. Moderate to vigorous activity reduced heart failure risk by 15% and cardiovascular mortality by 10%, while even light activity made a difference, lowering heart failure risk by 6% and mortality by 9%.
The study acknowledged some limitations, such as the inability of wrist-worn accelerometers to accurately detect body posture, potentially misclassifying standing time as sedentary behaviour.
Source: ANA-MPA
