Sitting for Long Periods Tied to Worse Outcomes in Chest Pain Patients

Hospitalized patients presenting with chest pain face heightened risks of heart complications and mortality within a year linked to prolonged sedentary behavior. This conclusion emerges from a recent peer-reviewed study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, where researchers monitored 609 emergency room patients, averaging 62 years, over 30 days post-discharge. Participants who exceeded 15 hours of sedentary activity daily—excluding sleep—had over double the chance of adverse events compared to those with 12 hours or fewer. Replacing 30 minutes of inactivity with moderate or vigorous exercise significantly reduced risks by 62%, while light movement led to a 50% decline. Encouraging any form of movement or even additional sleep may profoundly impact recovery, presenting vital considerations for patient care post-hospitalization.