Simple 30-minute change to your daily routine can halve risk of sudden cardiac death, study suggests

Sacrificing 30 minutes of sitting down for walking could halve the risk of dying for millions of people in the UK, new research has suggested. 

Scientists, who tracked roughly 600 patients who had recently suffered heart symptoms such as chest pain, found those who moved a bit more each day vastly reduced their odds of suffering a fatal attack.

While those who replaced a period of sitting with cleaning or walking, reduced their odd of suffering a cardiovascular emergency by 50 per cent, for those who did more strenuous exercise, like jogging, the risk fell by by 61 per cent.

Even replacing 30-minutes of sedentary time with sleeping was found to be beneficial, cutting the risk of a trip to A&E or death by almost a sixth.

Overall, the team found those who moved the least over a period of 30 days had two-and-a-half times the risk of dying within the next year, compared to the most active patients. 

They said the results highlighted the importance of ‘sitting less and doing more’ for both people with heart problems and those without.

The findings come as British heart health charities warned that cardiovascular deaths among working age Britons have soared 18 per cent since 2019. 

Meanwhile, a study last week found increased periods of sitting could increase your risk of Alzheimer’s regardless how much exercise you do.

 Professor Bethany Barone Gibbs, an expert in epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health at West Virginia University, said the new study showed the importance of even small bursts of activity.  

‘Replacing sedentary time with light intensity activities, like tidying up the house or strolling at a slow pace, was nearly as beneficial as moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities, like biking or doing aerobics,’ she said. 

‘These findings suggest sitting less and doing anything else—like taking a walk, cooking, playing with your dog or gardening—will help you stay healthier.’

Exercise physiologist and lead author of the study Keith Diaz, of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, added: ‘Our study indicates that one doesn’t have to start running marathons after a cardiovascular event to see benefits.’

‘Sitting less and moving or sleeping a little more can make a real difference.’

Exercise, of any kind, is known to help keep the heart healthy.

The heart is a muscle and, just like those in your arms and legs, it gets stronger with exercise.

A stronger heart can pump blood around the body more efficiently keeping cholesterol and blood pressure low. 

Mr Diaz added the researchers had been particularly surprised that replacing sitting with sleeping would have such an impact on health outcomes. 

‘Sleep is a restorative behaviour that helps the body and mind recover, which is especially important after a serious health event,’ he said.

The NHS advises that adults should get at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night for optimum health. 

In the study, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, the team analysed data from 609 patients.

All patients had attended Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City with symptoms of a heart attack, such as chest pain, between 2016 and 2020. 

They had an average of 62 and were split almost evenly in terms of sex.  

Upon discharge, patients were given a watch which tracked their activity levels for the following 30 days.

Scientists then followed up with the patients a year after they had first reported symptoms. 

At the conclusion of the study nearly one in 10 patients (50) had died.

The authors didn’t detail exactly what condition the deceased patients had died from. 

Data from the most active participants found they, on average, undertook 144-minutes of light physical activity, like walking, 25 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, like jogging, had eight-and-half hours of sleep and spent nearly 12 hours sedentary.

In contrast, the least active patients spent nearly 16 hours sedentary, only spending 82 minutes doing light physical activity, less than three minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity and only slept about six-and-a-half hours on average. 

The study had several limitations which the authors acknowledged.

Firstly, demographic data such as patients’ wealth or where they lived was not collected— and this could have influenced their survival outcomes.

Secondly, the watches were only worn for about 30 days meaning that changes to physical activity levels among participants after this time would not have been recorded.

Heart disease is one of Britain’s biggest killers, killing about 160,000 people a year, with the American death toll about five times higher.

Figures estimate that around 1.4million people in the UK have previously had a heart attack. 

To help protect themselves from health problems like heart attacks the NHS advises the public to aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity each week.

Moderate activity includes activities like a brisk walk or gardening whereas vigorous includes those like riding a bike or swimming.