More than 10 and a half hours spent in the chair can increase the risk of death due to heart problems, is the conclusion of researchers from Massachusetts, USA.
Prolonged sitting increases the risk of heart problems PHOTO Archive The Truth
More than 10 1/2 hours spent sitting, slouching or lying down during daytime hours could increase the risk of death from heart failure, heart attack or stroke, even if you exercise, suggests a study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital
The study analyzed the data, for seven days, from the fitness trackers of a number of almost 90,000 Britons, according to the Dailymail.
Overall, sedentary time averaged about 9.4 hours per day. Analysis of the participants’ heart health eight years later revealed that the risks of dying from heart failure, heart attack or stroke during this period were minimal up to a certain “threshold”.
The researchers found that the risk of dying from heart problems increased significantly in people who had a sedentary schedule more than 10.6 hours a day.
The result did not change even in the case of those who did the recommended 150 minutes of physical exercise per week.
Charles Eaton, director of the department of family medicine at Brown University, said people tend to overestimate how much exercise they get and underestimate how much time they spend being sedentary.
He explained that replacing just 30 minutes of excessive sitting each day with any type of physical activity can reduce heart health risks.
For example, adding moderate to vigorous intensity activity lowers the risk of heart failure by 15% and the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke by 10%.
Even light activity, such as a leisurely walk, reduces the risk of heart failure by 6% and the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke by 9%.
