Long Hours of Sitting Down May Increase Risk for Heart Failure in Men

Elderly men who spend more time sitting down are more likely to suffer from heart failure later on in life, a recent study finds.

The researchers involved in the study looked at more than 82,000 men between the age of 45 and 69 and found that those who spent more than sitting around or being sedentary beyond work hours were twice as likely to suffer from heart failure. In their study published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, lead study author Deborah Rohm Young and a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation said: "Though traditionally we know quite a bit about the positive impact that physical activity has on cardiovascular disease, we know significantly less about the relationship between physical activity and heart failure."

"The results of this large study of a racially and ethnically diverse population reinforce the importance of a physically active, and, importantly, a non-sedentary lifestyle for reducing the risk of heart failure. Men with low levels of physical activity were 52 percent more likely to develop heart failure than men with higher levels of physical activity," she added.

Dr. Young and her colleagues used data from a large study called the California Men's Health Study which confirms that none of the male participants suffered from any form of heart problem at the beginning of the study. "We looked at baseline information on a questionnaire about physical activity and sitting time outside of work. Those who had low physical activity - who sat a lot and got little exercise were more than twice likely to have heart failure.