These are touted as the ultimate antidote to sitting in front of a screen all day at the office. But one study found that standing desks, which have soared in popularity in recent years, do not compensate for inactivity and may even increase the risk of conditions such as swollen leg veins and blood clots. It is suggested.
A study of more than 80,000 adults in the UK also found that standing does not reduce the risk of illnesses such as stroke and heart failure, despite the widely held belief that it does. .
The study, led by the University of Sydney, found that standing for more than two hours a day may increase the risk of developing problems such as deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins. The findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Dr Matthew Ahmadi, from the University of Sydney’s School of Medicine and Health, said people who sit or stand for long periods of time should plan to move regularly throughout the day.
“The important point is that standing for long periods of time does not compensate for a sedentary lifestyle and for some people can be dangerous in terms of cardiovascular health. “We found that spending more time there does not improve long-term cardiovascular health and increases the risk of cardiovascular problems,” Ahmadi said.
To find out whether standing confers any health benefits, researchers looked at data from 83,013 adults in the UK Biobank health records database.
These people did not have heart disease at the start of the study and wore a device on their wrist to track their movements. The researchers found that for every additional 30 minutes spent standing over two hours, the risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 11%.
Researchers said standing has not been found to reduce the risk of heart diseases such as stroke, heart failure or coronary heart disease.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, said: “For people who sit for long periods of time on a regular basis, engaging in lots of incidental movement and structured exercise throughout the day can be There may be a better way.” Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Take regular breaks, walk around, go to walking meetings, take the stairs, take regular breaks when driving long distances, and use your lunch break to get away from your desk and get some physical activity. Let’s do it.”
British Heart Foundation senior cardiac nurse Emily McGrath, who was not involved in the study, said the findings highlighted the importance of being active during work hours.
“The more people can avoid stasis, the better,” she says. “Over the long term, this study shows that while standing time is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, it does affect other cardiovascular health for some people. It is important to be proactive in mitigating this risk.”
