A study examining elderly women’s amount of time spent sitting or standing has shown a marked increase in the risk for hospitalisation for heart failure.
The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study followed 81 000 postmenopausal women for 9 years. None of the women had been diagnosed with heart failure and could walk at least one block unassisted, and they self-reported the amount of time they spent sitting or lying down. Over this time, 1402 women were hospitalised with heart failure.
The researchers graded the amount of sedentary time (sitting or lying down) into three categories: 6.5 hours or less; 6.6-9.5 hours; and more than 9.5 hours. Those who sat 9.5 hours or more experienced a 42% increase in the rate of heart failure compared to those who sat for 6.5 hours or less.
Lead author of the study, Michael J LaMonte, PhD, MPH, research associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, said that there was a lack of data on sedentary time and heart failure, and even less so in elderly women.
“Our message is simple: sit less and move more. Historically, we have emphasised promoting a physically active lifestyle for heart health—and we should continue to do so! However, our study clearly shows that we also need to increase efforts to reduce daily sedentary time and encourage adults to frequently interrupt their sedentary time.”
He added, “This does not necessarily require an extended bout of physical activity; it might simply be standing up for 5 minutes or standing and moving one’s feet in place. We do not have sufficient evidence on the best approach to recommend for interrupting sedentary time. However, accumulating data suggest that habitual activities such as steps taken during household and other activities of daily living are an important aspect of cardiovascular disease prevention and healthy aging.”
Source: Medical Xpress
