Don't just sit there...

Recent study links prolonged sitting to heart failure

by: Sandeep Godiyal

With the number of people suffering from heart problems constantly going up, it is in the best interest of everyone to get to know the main contributing factors. A human heart is one of the most depended-upon organs in the body. However, if one has been spending the better part of his or her day sitting, this could probably be some shocking news. Recent research has shown that people who spend most of their time sitting could be endangering their lives. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of heart failure among many people, especially men.

Deborah Rom Young, a lead researcher who is also a senior scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California, said the study was the first of its kind; it was the first to show the link that exists between heart failure and sedentary time.

How scientist arrived at the conclusion

To clearly understand the link, the researchers followed a group of around 84 to 170 men, all of them falling in the age bracket of 45 to 69 years, from different races and without any heart failure problems. The exercise levels were actually calculated in metabolic equivalent of task; this is the measure of the energy the body uses.

Findings of the study

Shocking enough, after a remarkable eight years of follow-up, the researchers found some mind-blowing facts. The men with a very low level of exercise were well over 50 percent more prone to heart failure problems than the men who engaged in a lot of physical activities, even after the differences in sedentary time was adjusted.

In another study, it was also found that men who spend at least five hours a day sitting are 34 percent more likely to develop heart problems than those who spend a maximum of two hours sitting daily, regardless of how much they exercise. This report was published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation: Heart Failure.

What should be done to reduce heart failure among men?

To fight heart failure, be very active and sit less. This has been the message echoed by many health stakeholders. If people want to live longer without the risks of heart failure, they really need to be extremely active. Additionally, if one gets at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity on a weekly basis, he or she will stand very minimal chances of developing heart failure and other related problems. Another important thing that must be noted is that, even if one exercises a lot but spend most of his time sitting, his chances of having heart failure problems are still high. The best approach would be to avoid sitting for more than five hours a day. Instead, being active and engaging in physical activities is recommended.

Link:
http://www.naturalnews.com/044466_heart_failure_sitting_exercise.html