How does sitting at your desk all day increase heart risk?

A sedentary lifestyle has many risks.

From desk jobs on weekdays to reels on weekends, in today’s digital age, people spend most of their time sitting or lying down, making them more vulnerable to chronic conditions.

Sitting for long periods of time can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, new research suggests.

This is true even after exercising in your spare time.

Let’s take a closer look.

What does the research say?

The study examined data from 90,000 people who wore accelerometers for a week and compared their active and sedentary time with their subsequent diagnosed heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

The results were published in the journal Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Data were taken from the UK Biobank, a large scientific research database that primarily includes white people of European descent.

The results show a strong association between prolonged sitting and a higher risk of heart disease.

D., lead author of the study and a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Our findings highlight the importance of minimizing prolonged sitting, regardless of your physical activity level,” said Ezim Ajufo.

Accordingly CNND., an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center who was not involved in the research. Although it is widely known that excessive sitting can have a negative impact on health, more research is needed to determine this, Keith Diaz said. The exact risks and rules of what constitutes sitting too much.

Why can prolonged sitting be harmful?

Diaz noted that sitting for long periods of time can be harmful because muscles are necessary to control blood sugar and fat levels. They need to move to perform at their best.

“Taking movement breaks gives your muscles the stimulation they need, and even small amounts can make a difference,” she said.

How many hours is appropriate to sit?

The study recommended sitting for less than 10.6 hours per day.

“This is not a hard and fast threshold, but we think it is a reasonable first step for guidelines and public health intervention.”

For office workers working at a desk, 10.6 hours can add up quickly.

That’s why Diaz cautioned that simply standing still doesn’t activate muscles the way movement does.

Other options may work better, such as using a bike or treadmill desk or holding a meeting while walking.

What are the other dangers?

Another study led by Ryan Bruellman of the University of Colorado at Boulder reported similar findings.

The study was conducted on 1,000 former or current Colorado residents, including 730 twins. Participants, aged 28 to 49, reported sitting for an average of nine hours each day. Some even claimed that they sit for 16 hours a day.

These patients were examined for two key indicators of cardiac and metabolic health: body mass index (BMI) and cardiac risk ratio, which is the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL).

Even if they met the required 20 minutes of physical exercise each day, those who sat for longer periods had higher BMI and TC/HDL values.

Therefore, the study showed that the longer we sit, the older our health symptoms appear.

Young adults often think they are immune to the effects of aging, Bruellman explains. They believe that they should not worry about their health until they are in their 50s or 60s. But a lot depends on what they did when they were young.

How to act?

The secret, according to Diaz, is to find helpful ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine.

He suggested taking brisk walks every 30 to 60 minutes to alternate between work, standing or walking for a few minutes.

Ajufo also warned that the dangers of prolonged sitting cannot be completely eliminated by intense exercise at the end of the day.

“Sometimes we think we can completely compensate for some of the unhealthy behaviors we have … by going outside and going for a run,” he said. “Based on the findings, we can say that moderate to vigorous physical activity (i.e. jogging, brisk walking) is not enough to counteract the harmful effects of sitting.” “

“You’re still in better shape than someone who sits around all day and doesn’t exercise,” Dr. Diaz said.

According to Bruellman’s research, intense activity may help counteract the negative consequences of prolonged sitting.

With input from agencies