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IN PHOTO: British passengers, stranded by flight cancellations, sit on a suitcase as they wait to board the "Pride of Bilbao" ferry in the Spanish Basque port of Santurce, 14km (8 miles) from Bilbao April 21, 2010. Hundreds of travellers from across Spain descended on the port hoping to catch the boat following a mass grounding of European flights due to the danger of ash from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. REUTERS/Vincent West

People who sit for many hours per day are at an increased risk of coronary artery calcification, symbolizing subclinical heart diseases, a new study finds.

Previous studies have highlighted time and again the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. Adding to this body of evidence is a new study which highlights the ill-effects of sitting for several hours in a day. The study, by researchers from Medical College of Wisconsin, found that people who sit for several hours a day are at an increased risk of coronary artery calcification, which increases the risk of heart attacks.

"It's clear that exercise is important to reduce your cardiovascular risk and improve your fitness level," Jacquelyn Kulinski, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the study's lead author said in a press statement. "But this study suggests that reducing how much you sit every day may represent a more novel, companion strategy (in addition to exercise) to help reduce your cardiovascular risk.

This is not the first study to highlight the negative effects of sitting for long. Earlier this year, Stephanie Watson, executive editor of Harvard Women's Health Watch published a report stating excessive sitting increases the risk of an early death.

Last year, researchers from Kansas State University conducted a study where they found that sitting for long hours increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Another 2012 study highlighted that sitting for more than three hours a day reduces a person's life expectancy by two years.

A study conducted last month referred to sitting as the new smoking. Statistics from the study revealed that for every two hours spent sitting in front of the computer or television, the average person raises his or her risk of colon cancer by 8 percent, of endometrial cancer by 10 percent and of lung cancer by 6 percent.

According to statistics from Mayo Clinic, 50 to 70 percent of people spend six or more hours sitting a day. Apart from this, 20 to 35 percent spend four or more hours a day watching TV.

There's no definite answer for how many hours a person should ideally sit in a day. However, taking into consideration the findings of several studies, there's no harm in sitting less and exercising more. Some simple ways to cut down on sitting time are:

  • Watch less television
  • Walk to work or school if you live close by
  • Get up from your work station and take a stroll once in a while
  • Don't rely on email or SMS to communicate something to a friend/colleague who's sitting just a desk away. Walk up to him/her.

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Findings of the current study were presented on March 15 at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.

To contact the reporter, Email sammygoodwin27@gmail.com