Standing jobs are just as harmful as sitting jobs - research

In recent years, standing desks have been promoted as a remedy for a sedentary lifestyle. However, research indicates that they are not much less harmful than sitting at a desk.

Researchers from Australia and the Netherlands found that standing for extended periods is not significantly better than continuously sitting. Over the span of seven years, data from 83,013 adults was collected by the UK Biobank using wrist devices that tracked activity, sleep, and sitting time. The duration of time spent standing and sitting was compared with the rates of cardiovascular diseases and other circulation-related illnesses.

The researchers found no link between the time spent standing and the risk of cardiovascular disease. They propose that simply standing at a desk may not be sufficient to avoid health issues associated with prolonged sitting. Matthew Ahmadi from the University of Sydney suggests that many earlier studies supporting standing were based on "soft endpoints," such as improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and triglyceride levels.

This new study, however, focused on "hard clinical endpoints"—hospitalizations or deaths from relevant diseases. It demonstrated that whether individuals sit or stand for long periods ultimately does not affect cardiovascular health.

Standing for more than two hours a day increases this risk by 11% for every additional half hour, which poses bad news for retail workers and proponents of standing desks. It is not as if sitting is much better: sitting for over 10 hours daily, with each additional hour raising the risk of circulatory system disease by 26%.

The data suggest that a lack of movement while sitting or standing raises the risk of orthostatic circulatory diseases. Although the study's sample size is unparalleled, it is worth noting that observational studies cannot prove that standing or sitting causes any of these diseases.

The researchers conclude that standing alone cannot be viewed as a cure-all for the health issues linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Source: ScienceAlert