Sitting for too long can affect heart health, even if you exercise, scientists warn

Ten hours or more sedentary behavior can increase daily heart Risk of failure even in those who do it regularly exerciseA new study warns.

insufficient exercise is a person known to contribute heart disease and health instructions To reduce this risk, approximately 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week is recommended.

However, exercise is only a part of overall daily activity and current guidelines According to scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, they do not offer specific recommendations regarding sedentary behavior.

New study published in the journal JACCevaluated the health information of approximately 90,000 people UK biobank.

Participants presented their data recorded by a wrist-worn accelerometer that recorded their movements for seven days. The average age of participants was 62, and about 56 percent were women, with an average sedentary time of about 9.4 hours per day.

The study evaluated the amount of sedentary time at which heart disease risk is highest.

Scientists evaluated how sedentary time and physical activity together affect the risk of fatal conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF), myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure (HF).

Scientists who followed the participants for eight years found that approximately 3,600 people developed AF, more than 1,850 people had HF, and more than 1,600 people had MI.

About 900 of these participants died of heart disease, scientists say.

The researchers also observed that the effects of sedentary time on participants varied depending on the outcome.

For example, among those experiencing AF and MI, the risk appeared to increase steadily over time without major change.

Among those with heart disease and heart disease, the increase in risk was minimal until sedentary time exceeded about 10.5 hours per day.

At this point, the study found, the risk increased significantly, showing a “threshold” effect for the behavior.

Some effects of sedentary behavior on AF and MI risks were significantly attenuated in participants who met the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or more.

However, the researchers caution that the effects on the “higher risk” of HF and CV mortality in these participants “remain significant.”

“Future guidelines and public health efforts should emphasize the importance of reducing sedentary time,” said study co-author Shaan Khurshid.

“Avoiding working more than 10.6 hours per day may be a realistic minimum goal for better heart health.”

Underlining a limitation of the study, the scientists say that the wrist-worn accelerometers from which participant data were collected are imperfect in detecting posture and may misclassify sedentary time.

But they say the study adds to growing evidence of a strong link between sedentary behavior and heart health.

“The findings make a strong case that we need to empower people to take action to promote better health,” Charles Eaton, MD, director of Brown University’s Department of Family Medicine, said in a linked article in the journal.