Reduce sitting time daily for better cardiovascular health, says study
Posted on: 29/Apr/2016 2:16:30 PM
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas has said that reducing sitting time by one or two hours daily can have a positive and significant impact on cardiovascular health. The study says that sedentary behaviour results in increased amounts of calcium deposits in the arteries of the heart. This raises the risk of a heart attack. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Speaking about this, the researchers said, This is one of the first studies to show that sitting time is associated with early markers of atherosclerosis buildup in the heart. Each additional hour of daily sedentary time is associated with a 12 per cent higher likelihood of coronary artery calcification.
For individuals with a desk job that requires them to sit for large portions of the day, (we suggest) taking frequent breaks. Try a one to five minute break every hour. Stand up. Walk up a flight of stairs. All of this helps in a small way. Then get in your strenuous exercise in the evening as well. In some individuals, cholesterol builds up inside the walls of the arteries supplying blood to the heart in mounds called cholesterol plaques. Over time, calcium accumulates in these plaques. The amount of coronary artery calcium can be measured through Computed Tomography (CT) scanning and directly correlates with the amount of cholesterol plaque, as well as with heart attack risk.
2000 people who participated in the study wore a device that measured their activity levels. They wore the device for a week. Say the researchers, Participants spent an average of 5.1 hours sitting per day and an average of 29 minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. We observed a significant association between increased sedentary time and coronary artery calcium. These associations were independent of exercise, traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and socioeconomic factors. This research suggests that increased subclinical atherosclerosis characterised by calcium deposition is one of the mechanisms through which sedentary behaviour increases cardiovascular risk and that this risk is distinct from the protective power of exercise.
