Breaking up sedentary time with light exercise reduces blood pressure; adverse events in 1/3 of surgeries; risk of cardiovascular disease could depend on heart shape — Morning Medical Update

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Breaking up each hour of sedentary time with 10 minutes of light exercise significantly reduces blood pressure

The University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s cohort followed 2,513 children from age 11 until 24 years and found that time spent sedentary beyond six hours per day during growth from childhood to young adulthood could cause an excess increase of 4 mmHg in systolic blood pressure. Researchers found, however, that by continuously engaging in light physical activity (LPA) for 10 minutes per hour spent sedentary from childhood through early adulthood significantly mitigated the rise in blood pressure. Examples of LPA range from long walks and bicycling to completing basic house chores.

“Furthermore, when 10 minutes out of every hour spent sedentary was replaced with an equal amount of LPA from childhood through young adulthood in a simulation model, systolic blood pressure decreased by 3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 mmHg… it has been reported in adults that a systolic blood pressure reduction of 5 mmHg decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke by 10%," said Andrew Agbaje, physician and associate professor of clinical epidemiology and child health at the University of Eastern Finland.

1 in 3 surgery patients experience adverse events

A study of admissions to 11 hospitals in Massachusetts, published by The BMJ, found that adverse events—negative effects of treatment, like a drug or surgery—affect 38% of adults undergoing surgery. “Adverse events remain widespread in contemporary health care, causing substantial and preventable patient harm during hospital admissions.”

Could risk of cardiovascular disease increase depending on heart shape?

A collaborative and multi-national study became the first to examine the genetic basis of the heart’s left and right ventricles using advanced 3D imaging and machine learning. Researchers examined cardiovascular MRIs from over 40,000 individuals to create 3D models of the ventricles and, through statistical analysis, identified 11 shape dimensions that described primary variations in heart shape, subsequently finding 45 specific areas in the human genome linked to different heart shapes, several of which had not been previously identified.

“We’ve long known that size and volume of the heart matter, but by examining shape, we’re uncovering new insights into genetic risks,” Patricia B. Munroe, professor of molecular medicine at Queen Mary University and co-author of the study, said in a university release. “This discovery could provide valuable additional tools for clinicians to predict disease earlier and with more precision.”