Obese people should reduce sitting time to lower heart disease risk

Sitting for too long has been found to negatively affect the health of heart patients. Experts have advised patients with heart diseases to take breaks from sitting down because inactivity can cause their health to worsen.

Now, a new study found that for obese people, sitting for prolonged periods of time can increase their risks for heart disease. In turn, reducing their sitting time can lessen their chances of developing the disease.

In the new study, researchers found that even if obese people perform exercise, as long as they spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games, the risk for heart disease is still high.

Sedentary behavior or inactivity for long periods of time is often linked to adults with diabetes and poor cardiovascular health, experts said.

"Adults with severe obesity often have difficultly following national guidelines to participate in at least 30 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity for health benefits," said Wendy King, lead author of the study and an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

King suggests that sedentary behavior such as sitting in front of the computer or watching television should be replaced with physical activities such as casual stroll and light housework in order to improve cardio-metabolic health.

King and her colleagues followed 927 patients who were part of a weight-loss surgery study in the United States. For every hour that participants spent 10 minutes in sedentary position, researchers found that their odds for having diabetes increased by 15 percent. Their blood pressure also elevated by 14 percent, while their chances of developing metabolic syndrome increased by 12 percent.

Their findings are featured in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter