Prolonged sedentary time with few breaks associated with higher cardiovascular mortality and CVD incidence in observational cohort.
This prospective cohort study of 89,010 UK Biobank participants with wearable accelerometer data found that prolonged sedentary time (≥10 hours/day) with infrequent breaks (<12 bouts/day) was associated with a 51.5% higher risk of all-cause mortality, 55.3% higher cardiovascular mortality risk, and 10% higher CVD incidence risk compared to the least sedentary group, during 8 years of follow-up. At age 50, this sedentary pattern was associated with loss of 2.8 years in men and 3.1 years in women of CVD-free life expectancy. More frequent interruptions to sedentary time attenuated these risks.
What this changes
The finding has not established an approved change to our evidence assessment.
Source date: Jul 28, 2026 · Discovered: Sep 20, 2026 · Assessed: — · Research update
What it does not prove
- Limitations have not yet been verified. Read the primary source.
Extracted from supplied source material; model confidence is not a measured probability of correctness.
Study details
- Design
- Cohort
- Sample size
- 89,010
- Duration
- 96 months
- Population
- UK Biobank participants (median age 63.5 years, 56.5% women) who provided 3 to 7 valid days of wrist accelerometer data
- Primary outcome
- All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, CVD mortality, and CVD-free life expectancy
- Effect size
- Prolonged sedentary time (≥10 h/d) with low fragmentation (sedentary breaks <12 bouts/d) versus least sedentary group: all-cause mortality HR=1.515 (95% CI 1.380–1.663; 51.5% increased risk); cardiovascular mortality subdistribution HR=1.553 (95% CI 1.325–1.820; 55.3% increased risk); incident CVD HR=1.100 (95% CI 1.030–1.174; 10.0% increased risk). CVD-free life expectancy loss at age 50: men −2.770 years (95% CI −3.392 to −2.148); women −3.113 years (95% CI −3.794 to −2.432)
- Significance
- Significant
- Journal
- Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences
- Published
- Jul 28, 2026
Sources
Primary source
Assessment history
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