Prolonged Sitting Can Adversely Affect Heart Patients, new study says

Gym time is not going to keep heart patients healthy if they spend too much of the rest of the day on the couch. But doing some housework might help, according to new research from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

The study, published in European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, looked at levels of sedentary behaviour — including sitting, watching TV, working at a computer and driving in a car — and the effect on health in 278 patients with coronary artery disease.

The patients, who had been through a cardiac rehabilitation program, were monitored for nine days.

The study found patients who sat more had a higher body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight. They also had lower cardiorespiratory fitness, which is the maximum rate at which the heart, lungs and muscles use oxygen during an exercise test.

The study also found men spent more time sitting than women — an average of one hour more each day, primarily because women tended to do more light intensity movement such as light housework or walking to the end of the driveway.

Previous research has shown that being sedentary increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but its effect on patients with established heart disease was unknown until now.

So, here are some practical tips to get moving:

Get up and move every 30 minutes;
Stand up during TV commercials or, even better, do light exercises while watching TV;
Set a timer and take regular breaks from your desk;
Take lunch breaks outside the office instead of in front of the computer;
Go to bed instead of sitting in front of the TV and get the benefits of sleeping;
Monitor your activity patterns to find out when you are most sedentary.

Agencies/Canadajournal

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