Increasing Sit-to-Stand Transitions Lower BP

A recent US clinical trial explored two strategies for reducing sedentary behavior and their effects on health in overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Over a 3-month period, 407 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group focused on general healthy living, a group aiming to reduce total sitting time (“sit less”), and a group aiming to increase sit-to-stand transitions (STSTs). All participants received seven individualized coaching sessions. Results showed that the “sit less” group significantly reduced sitting time by an average of 58 minutes per day but did not increase STSTs. In contrast, the STST group increased their daily transitions by 26 but saw no significant change in total sitting time. Importantly, the STST group experienced significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), while no significant improvements in BP or glucoregulatory markers were seen in the “sit less” group. These findings highlight the feasibility of targeting specific sedentary behaviors and suggest that increasing STSTs may be an effective and practical approach to lowering cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/