If you’re someone who spends the majority of your waking hours sitting in front of your computer screen, usually lazing around or watching web series or movies, you’re at high risk of having a heart attack, says a cardiologist. A study suggests that people who sit 10 hours or more a day are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those who sit 5 hours or less a day. Sitting can affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and bone health. It can also increase the risk of blood clots forming in a vein, which can be fatal. (Also read: How to prevent a summer heart attack; expert offers advice)

If you suffer from any of the chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or even osteoporosis, take a close look at your lifestyle as one of the culprits could be your sedentary lifestyle or routine of staying sitting too long.

Dr. Ritwick Raj Bhuyan, Director – Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, in an interaction with HT Digital, discusses how sitting for long hours can cause issues with different body functions.

“Sitting generally increases blood pressure, which can increase the risk of diabetes, excess fat around the waist, raise blood cholesterol levels, and can cause obesity,” says Dr. Bhuyan.

The cardiologist goes on to explain how one can start having problems in the neck and back muscles while sitting for long hours; so much so that they can injure their key body disc.

Physical movement is also important for your bones and Dr Bhuyan says a person’s risk of osteoporosis and weakening of bones increases when they sit for long hours.

“Our body is said to exert pressure on the bones when we walk or create movement. This makes the body healthy by generating new bone tissue by the specialized cell. therefore, there is less new bone tissue that weakens the bone,” the expert told HT Digital.

Dr. Ritwick Raj Bhuyan also explains how to calculate heart attack risk based on your daily sitting hours:

Low risk – less than 4 hours per day

Moderate risk: 4 to 8 hours per day

High risk – 8-11 hours per day

Very high risk – more than 11 hours per day

Tips to protect your heart while doing sedentary work:

– It is strongly recommended not to sit for more than 40 minutes and to always take a break.

– Posture changes while sitting can help reduce the effects of prolonged sitting on your health. Movement and movement during working hours reduces the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time on our body and mind by helping us stay energized, focused (and less tired), productive in our work or the tasks assigned to us. assigned, and it’s just better for overall physical well-being.

– When it comes to heart health, many factors come into play, but one of the most important aspects is how much time you spend sitting per day. If you spend hours each day in front of a computer screen, your risk of developing cardiovascular disease may be increased. this has been shown in those who sit for more than 8 hours a day. In such a scenario, it is important to take 5 minutes out of every hour you are sitting at work to stretch or take a walk.

“These simple changes could make all the difference when it comes to preventing the development of heart disease as a result of overly sedentary behavior,” concludes Dr Ritwick Raj Bhuyan.