An Hour Less of Sitting Daily Improves Cardiometabolic Measures

WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing sedentary behavior by less than an hour per day shows benefits in several cardiometabolic biomarkers among adults with metabolic syndrome, according to a study published online April 7 in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Taru Garthwaite, from the University of Turku in Finland, and colleagues assessed whether reducing sedentary behavior improves cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome. Analysis included 64 sedentary, middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome who were randomly assigned to reduce sedentary behavior by one hour/day through increased standing and light-intensity physical activity (33) or usual care (31).

The researchers found that the intervention cut sedentary behavior by 50 minutes/day by increasing light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (19 and 24 minutes/day, respectively). There were also nonsignificant increases in standing (six minutes per day). The intervention was associated with significant favorable effects, including for fasting insulin (83.4 versus 102.0 pmol/L at three months), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; 3.2 versus 4.0), HbA1c (37 versus 38 mmol/mol), and liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (28 versus 33 U/l).

"It is an encouraging thought that health benefits can be achieved by reducing the time spent sitting and increasing the amount of even light-intensity physical activity," Garthwaite said in a statement. "For many, this may be an easier starting point than increasing actual exercise."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text