The effects of uninterrupted and interrupted sitting on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with established coronary heart disease

Fryer, Simon M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0376-0104, Scarle, Turner, Louise A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0153-7075, Moinuddin, Arsalan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4242-1714, Faulkner, J, Legg, Hayley S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4995-2091, Paterson, C and Stone, K (2026) The effects of uninterrupted and interrupted sitting on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with established coronary heart disease. Experimental Physiology. doi:10.1113/EP093399 (In Press)

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Abstract

Sedentary behaviour is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In healthy adults, prolonged uninterrupted sitting acutely increases blood pressure (BP) and aortic stiffness; however, these effects can be mitigated with light physical activity interruptions. Whether such mitigation strategies are effective in at-risk populations remains unclear. This study examined the effects of uninterrupted and interrupted sitting on BP and arterial stiffness, measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), and femoral-ankle PWV in patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD). Using a randomised cross-over design, 14 CHD patients sat for 2 h uninterrupted (control [CON]), and 2 h interrupted with light physical activity (sit-to-stand, calf raises and walking) breaks every 30 min (ACT). Brachial BP and cfPWV were assessed immediately pre- and post-sitting. Time-by-condition effects were tested using linear mixed effects models with baseline adjustments. A significant time × condition interaction effect was detected for systolic BP (P = 0.037) with an increase in CON (mean difference [MD] = 15 mmHg [95% CI: 8, 23], P < 0.001) but not ACT (MD = 4 mmHg [95% CI: −4, 11], P = 0.334). A significant time effect was detected for cfPWV, with an increase across both CON and ACT conditions (MD = 0.76 m/s [95% CI: 0.52, 0.99], P < 0.001). For CHD patients, light activity breaks every 30 min can attenuate the impact of prolonged sitting on BP but not arterial stiffness; higher frequency or intensity of activity breaks may be required for better preservation of cardiovascular function.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cardiac rehabilitation; cardiovascular disease; endothelial function; heart disease; lifestyle behaviours; prolonged sitting
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education, Health and Sciences
Depositing User:	Charlotte Crutchlow
Date Deposited:	08 Apr 2026 08:12
Last Modified:	11 Apr 2026 09:30
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15910

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