Prolong sitting confers an increased risk of mortality & cardiovascular disease

According to the PURE cohort study, sitting for more than 8 hrs per day increases the risk for death and major CV events compared with sitting for less than 4 hrs per day.

According to the researchers published in JAMA Cardiology, the association between longer sitting time and higher mortality/CVD risk was present at all socioeconomic levels but pronounced in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Researchers in this new study found that people in poorer parts of the world experience even worse effects of long days spent sitting, despite sitting being associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease across all populations studied. Bangladesh, India, and Zimbabwe were the nations with the strongest correlation.

The study author explained the reason that, in the High-Income Countries (HICs), The activity pattern is predominantly one where f people sit most of the day and then do some recreational activity like walking, gardening, running, or outdoor sport, whereas, in the Lower-Income Countries (LICs) recreational activities are uncommon and is largely for the privileged.

Sitting for 6-8 hrs/day increases the relative risk of heart disease and premature death by 12-13%, compared to people who sit less than 4 hrs per day. If you extend that time to eight hours or more, the relative risk rises to a staggering 20%.

“This is an important risk factor to talk to patients about, just as it would be with smoking. It’s a low-cost intervention. You just have to talk to patients about it.” Scott Lear, PhD the study said.

Sitting for more than six hours per day or more than eight hours per day is bad for your health. Over 9.5 hours per day, there are even more risks. More sitting leads to worse outcomes, so it makes sense.