People who sit for more than 14 hours a day after being treated for heart attack symptoms like chest pain may face a higher risk of heart problems or death within the next year, according to a new study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
This study followed over 600 adults who had been treated in the emergency room for heart attacks or chest pain. After leaving the hospital, these patients wore a wrist device called an accelerometer for about 30 days.
This device tracked how much time they spent sitting, sleeping, or moving. It gave the researchers accurate information instead of relying on the patients’ memory.
The average age of participants was 62. Almost half were women. Most were Hispanic, with others identifying as Black, white, or other races. The study took place in New York City between 2016 and 2020. Patients were checked one month and again one year after leaving the hospital.
The researchers wanted to know if being inactive after a heart attack could raise the chance of another heart problem. They found that people who were the least active—those who sat for more than 15 hours a day and only moved for a few minutes—had more than double the risk of having another heart issue or dying within a year compared to those who were more active.
People who replaced just 30 minutes of sitting time each day with moderate or vigorous physical activity, like brisk walking, swimming, or dancing, cut their risk by 61%. Even replacing sitting with light activity, like cooking or walking slowly, lowered the risk by 50%. Replacing sitting with 30 minutes of sleep reduced the risk by 14%.
The most active group in the study had an average of 144 minutes of light activity each day, 25 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, 11.7 hours of sitting, and 8.4 hours of sleep. The least active group only had 82 minutes of light activity, 3 minutes of moderate activity, sat for 15.6 hours, and slept for 6.6 hours a day.
Lead author Dr. Keith Diaz, a professor at Columbia University, said current heart recovery advice focuses mainly on getting patients to exercise. But this study suggests that just reducing the amount of time spent sitting—even by a little—can make a big difference.
Interestingly, even replacing sitting time with sleep seemed to help. Sleep helps the body heal, especially after something serious like a heart attack. Diaz said that people don’t need to run marathons to get benefits. Simply moving more and sitting less can improve heart health.
This study supports the American Heart Association’s message of “sit less, move more.” Experts like Dr. Bethany Barone Gibbs noted that doing any activity—whether it’s gardening, walking, or tidying up—can reduce the risk of future heart events.
Still, the study had some limits. It only looked at movement levels, not what kind of sitting the person was doing (like watching TV versus reading). It also didn’t include data about participants’ income or where they lived, which could influence recovery.
Finally, the study only followed people for about a year and didn’t include some types of heart plaque that can be dangerous even without calcium buildup.
Overall, this study shows that even small changes in activity after a heart event—like getting up more often or going for short walks—could help save lives.
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