With hypertension prevalence of over 74% in older adults aged >60 years, it is crucial to find means to improve control of this cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Epidemiological data points to high degree of sedentary habits among older adults, characterized by sitting for 65 to 80% of their waking hours, which is associated with negative health outcomes such as type 2 diabetes, CVD, diminished physical functioning, and increased mortality.
A study by Rosenberg et al., published recently in the journal “JAMA Network Open” reported that reducing sitting time with feasible interventions that can reduce sedentary time by >30 min/day decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) among older adults with hypertension. Thus reducing sitting time is a practical strategy to improve cardiometabolic health among older adults (see study graphic data).
(Source: Rosenberg DE, Zhu W, Greenwood-Hickman MA, Cook AJ, Acevedo SF, McClure JB, Arterburn DE, Cooper J, Owen N, Dunstan D, Perry SR. Sitting Time Reduction and Blood Pressure in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2024 Mar 4;7(3):e243234-. Doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.3234)