Sitting Less May Be Tied to Lower Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women, Study Shows

Americans spend an average of 9.5 hours a day sitting, which can increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and even death, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

A separate study published in Circulation last month showed that postmenopausal women who stood an average of 25 times a day decreased their diastolic blood pressure by 2.24 mmHg when compared with women in the control group.

“Our study looked at how changing sitting patterns can improve different aspects of cardiovascular health for older women,” lead author Sheri Hartman, Ph.D., professor and assistant dean of research at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at the University of California San Diego, said in a recent video interview with Managed Healthcare Executive. “When women enter menopause, they have more risk for their heart health.”

Hartman explained that as people age, exercise may be harder to do, especially the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly.

"We wanted to look at what other ways we can encourage people to change their behaviors to improve their health," Hartman said.