An American study has shown that sitting for 11 hours a day increases the risk of premature death by 40%. A word of advice: get up!
Becoming sedentary has certainly allowed the human species to evolve, but today, sedentary lifestyle is slowly killing us! This is what scientists from Medical Wisconsin College conclude.
This study, carried out on nearly 2000 people aged on average 50 years, shows that in a sitting position, the body burns less fat, but also that the blood pressure increases while the level of insulin falls. Changes which ultimately increase the risk of premature death.
These works, presented last March at the 64e American College’s Annual Scientific Session of Cardiology, San Diego, has been published in the journal of theAmerican College of Cardiology.
40% increased risk of premature death
By studying the heart function and physical activity of more than 2,000 people living in Dallas, researchers found that every hour spent sitting increases blood pressure by 14%. The research team also found that prolonged sitting increases calcification of the coronary arteries, a factor that can increase the risk of a heart attack.
In addition, the risk of premature death would be 40% greater in a person who sits 11 hours a day than in a person who sits only 4 hours.
To reach these conclusions, Jacquelyn Kulinski’s team used an accelerometer, a device that tracks movement, to measure the time spent sitting and the time people were active. “With this device, we were able to monitor activity levels minute by minute,” explains the author of the work.
Reduce the time spent sitting
This study opens up a unique perspective on the effects of a sedentary lifestyle because it links sitting position with the risk of heart disease. By changing the habits, the researchers believe it would reverse the damage to the heart. For Jacquelyn Kulinski, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and author of the study, “It’s obvious that exercise is important in reducing cardiovascular risk and improving fitness” for people who sit too often. of work.
But this study suggests that reducing the time spent sitting may also be a plus in reducing cardiovascular risk. “I think the study offers a promising message,” explains the author. For the latter, reducing the time spent sitting down by one to two hours during the day can “have a significant and positive impact on your cardiovascular health.”
To live longer, it is therefore “important to try to move as much as possible every day.” For example, going for a walk during lunch break, getting up and walking during phone conversations, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and using a pedometer to measure the number of steps taken each day, ”advises Jacquelyn Kulinski.
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