Study Adds More Evidence That Sitting Is Bad For the Heart

A new U.S. study confirms earlier research findings that sitting for long periods of time, regardless of exercise, is bad for the heart. Too much sitting is associated with coronary artery calcification, according to the researchers who noted that other studies have linked excessive sitting with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and early death. The researchers analyzed heart scans and physical activity records of more than 2,000 adults living in Dallas, Texas. They found that each hour of sedentary time a day was on average associated with a 14 percent increase in coronary artery calcification. The association had nothing to do with exercise activity or other traditional heart disease risk factors.