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Sit Less, Stand More: A Simple Trick to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Last reviewed: 09.08.2025
Scientists from the University of California, San Diego, published the results of a three-month randomized clinical trial in Circulation that examined how different strategies for breaking up sedentary time affected the health of older women who were overweight or obese (with an average BMI of 32).
Study design
Cohort: 407 postmenopausal women (mean age 68 y, 92% white) sat for at least 7 h/day and performed no more than 70 sit-to-stand transitions (STST) daily.
Groups (12 weeks each):
- Healthy Living - attention control, seven coaching sessions.
- Reduce Sitting - A targeted reduction in total sitting time.
- Increase Transitions - Focuses on increasing daily STST without changing total sitting time.
Activity monitoring: Thigh and hip accelerometers recorded posture and number of rises over 7 days.
Outcomes: primary—blood pressure (systolic and diastolic); secondary—glycemic control indicators (glucose, insulin, HbA₁c, HOMA-IR).
Key Results
Seed-to-Stand (STST) vs Healthy Living:
- Daily lifts increased by 26 per day (p < 0.001).
- Diastolic pressure dropped by 2.24 mmHg compared to the Healthy Living group (p = 0.02).
- The decrease in systolic (≈1.5 mmHg) did not reach statistical significance.
Reduce Sitting vs Healthy Living:
Sitting time was reduced by 58 minutes daily (p < 0.001), but there was no significant effect on BP.
Glycaemia and insulin: No significant changes in glycaemic control parameters were observed in any of the intervention groups compared with control.
Safety and compliance: 388 participants completed the study, no serious adverse events were reported.
Interpretation
"Our work shows that breaking sedentary behavior by standing up — not just reducing sitting time — quickly and safely reduces diastolic blood pressure in overweight postmenopausal women," said Dr. Sheri Hartman, senior author of the study.
Standing up from a chair activates leg muscles and improves blood flow, which may reduce peripheral vascular resistance more effectively than simply reducing time spent sitting.
Practical conclusions
- Easy to do: Increasing chair rises by 25–30 times a day is possible even with a busy schedule.
- Rapid effect: Improvement in blood pressure was observed after just 12 weeks without changing diet or intense exercise.
- CVD prevention: A small reduction in diastolic pressure of 2 mmHg is associated with a 6–8% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events in the long term.
Conclusion
This study supports the idea that frequent breaks in sedentary behavior with chair standing is a practical and cost-effective strategy to reduce CVD risk in overweight postmenopausal women. Longer-term trials are planned to assess the impact on outcomes such as vascular stiffness, endothelial function, and long-term morbidity.