New Study: Standing Too Long Can Increase The Risk Of Heart Disease

Illustration of standing for too long risks increasing heart disease (Freepic)

JAKARTA - The risk of heart disease can apparently increase due to several factors, one of which is the habit of standing for too long.

Yes, the results of a new study published in The International Journal of Epidemiology show a long standing link to the risk of heart disease. In the new study, the researchers involved more than 80,000 healthy adults from the UK.

For two years, the research participants used an wrist accelerometer that recorded how long they had been sitting and standing.

When researchers assessed the data and followed up over a six-year period, they found that sitting for more than 10 hours a day was related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and standing longer than sitting did not reduce the risk of heart problems.

More specifically, for every 30 minutes spent standing for more than two hours, the risk of health problems is up 11 percent.

In addition, standing longer can increase the risk of varises and deep vein thrombosis.

"The most important thing that can be taken is that standing for too long will not offset a lifestyle that is not moving much and could pose a risk to some people in terms of blood circulation health," said Matthew Ahmadi, a post-doctoral researcher at Sydney University who is the lead author of the study, as quoted by Antara.

Therefore, Ahmadi and his fellow researchers suggest, it is better to schedule regular movements throughout the day instead of being confident throughout the day.

"Take a periodic break, take a walk, follow the meeting while walking, use the stairs, take a periodic break while driving long distances, or take advantage of lunch time to leave the table and do some movements," said Ahmadi.

Short stretching, short cardio exercises, or several times a squat can be done during breaks.

According to the results of a 2024 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, high-intensity training for six minutes or moderate to severe exercise for 30 minutes per day can help reduce the risk of heart disease even for people who do not move much for 11 hours a day or more.