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Sitting Too Much Can Increase the Risk of Heart Problems: Study

People who sit all day at a desk will face greater risk for heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Even if those desk dwellers do exercise, they still have higher chances of being diagnosed with stroke, heart attack and heart failure in later years.

“Our findings really highlight the significance of minimizing excessive sitting, regardless of how active you are,” said Dr. Ezim Ajufo, the lead author of the study and a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, according to CNN.

The research involved nearly 90,000 participants who wore accelerometers for a week. Their sedentary and active periods were then compared with subsequent diagnoses of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

The study also recommended a general guideline for sedentary time, suggesting a limit of 10.6 hours a day. “This isn’t a strict rule, but we think it’s a reasonable starting point for creating guidelines and public health initiatives,” said Ajufo.

However, the study emphasized the need for further research to better understand the exact risks of prolonged sitting and what qualifies as too much, according to Dr. Keith Diaz, associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, who was not involved in the study.

Diaz explained that this was an observational study and couldn’t conclusively prove that sitting directly causes heart disease. However, muscles play a key role in regulating blood sugar and fat, and they require movement to function properly. “Taking short movement breaks gives your muscles the stimulation they need, and it doesn’t take much,” Diaz explained.

While some may think that using a standing desk would solve the problem, Diaz clarified that standing alone doesn’t address the lack of movement. He recommended using a bike or treadmill desk or finding ways to incorporate more movement throughout the day, such as taking a walk.

Ajufo added that the study showed that working out at the end of the day won’t fully reverse the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

“Many people believe they can compensate for unhealthy behaviors, like sitting all day, by going for a run,” she said, according to CNN. “What we’ve found is that moderate to vigorous physical activity—like running or brisk walking—doesn’t fully negate the harmful effects of long periods of sitting.”

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