Standing more may not reduce cardiovascular disease risk, could increase circulatory disease

Standing has gained popularity among people looking to offset the harms of a sedentary lifestyle often caused by spending long days sitting in front of the computer, television or driving wheel. Standing desks have become a popular option among office workers, and in other industries like retail, workers may opt to stand instead of sit.  

However, their efforts may not produce the intended result. New University of Sydney research has shown that over the long-term, standing more compared with sitting does not improve cardiovascular health (coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure), and could increase the risk of circulatory issues related to standing, such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.

The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology also found that sitting for over 10 hours a day increased both cardiovascular disease and orthostatic incidence risk, reinforcing the need for greater physical activity throughout the day. The research also notes that standing more was not associated with heightened cardiovascular disease risk. 

Lead author from the Faculty of Medicine and Health and Deputy Director of the Charles Perkins Centre’s Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub, Dr Matthew Ahmadi, said there were other ways for those with a sedentary lifestyle to improve their cardiovascular health. 

“The key takeaway is that standing for too long will not offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and could be risky for some people in terms of circulatory health. We found that standing more does not improve cardiovascular health over the long term and increases the risk of circulatory issues,” Dr Ahmadi said.

While the researchers found that there were no health benefits gained from standing more, they cautioned against sitting for extended periods, recommending that people who are regularly sedentary or find themselves standing for long periods schedule regular movement throughout the day.

“For people who sit for long periods on a regular basis, including plenty of incidental movement throughout the day and structured exercise may be a better way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub. 

“Take regular breaks, walk around, go for a walking meeting, use the stairs, take regular breaks when driving long distances, or use that lunch hour to get away from the desk and do some movement. In Australia, we are now coming into the warmer months, so the weather is perfect for sun-safe exercise that helps you get moving,” he said. 

Professor Stamatakis and Dr Ahmadi’s research published earlier this year found that about 6 minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day could help lower the risk of heart disease even in people who were highly sedentary for more than 11 hours a day. 

The study was conducted using incident heart condition and circulatory disease data taken over a period of seven to eight years from 83,013 UK adults who were free of heart disease at baseline, measured using research-grade wrist-worn wearables similar to a smartwatch.

The data used in the study was not explicitly collected on standing desk usage; instead, it measured the cardiovascular and circulatory impacts of increased standing. Standing desk use in this study likely contributes a very small fraction of total standing.