Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Circulation, 151(15), 1063–1075. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.072253 Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis et al.
Points
- Based on data from over 24,000 UK Biobank participants, this study found that incidental physical activity significantly reduced cardiovascular risk in adults who did not engage in structured leisure time exercise.
- Moderate and vigorous incidental activity were associated with significant reductions in major cardiovascular events and mortality, especially around 14 or 34–50 minutes of moderate activity daily.
- An L-shaped dose-response curve showed diminishing returns beyond 35 to 38 kJ·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹, with the most substantial risk reduction observed at relatively modest activity levels.
- One minute of vigorous incidental activity equated to nearly three minutes of moderate or over 30 minutes of light activity in terms of cardiovascular benefit.
- These results suggest that even brief, everyday movements can meaningfully improve heart health and longevity for people who do not participate in formal exercise routines.
Summary
This study aimed to assess the impact of incidental physical activity (IPA) on cardiovascular health in middle-aged and older adults who do not engage in regular leisure-time exercise. The cohort consisted of 24,139 participants from the UK Biobank, with a mean age of 61.9 years. Using accelerometry data, the study categorized IPA into vigorous (VIPA), moderate (MIPA), and light (LIPA) intensities, analyzing associations with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and all-cause mortality over a mean follow-up period of 7.9 years. Key findings indicated that higher volumes of IPA were associated with a reduced risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
The study found an L-shaped dose-response relationship between IPA volume and cardiovascular risk. Hazard ratios for MACE, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality were significantly lower at approximately 35 to 38 kJ·kg−1·d−1 of IPA, with HRs of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.39–0.61) for MACE, 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22–0.52) for CVD mortality, and 0.31 (95% CI: 0.25–0.38) for all-cause mortality. Specifically, 14 minutes per day of VIPA and 34-50 minutes per day of MIPA were associated with lower risks. The hazard ratio for CVD mortality was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.46–0.83) for VIPA and 0.50 (95% CI: 0.31–0.80) for MIPA. While LIPA showed weaker associations, it was statistically significant for CVD mortality when participants engaged in over 130 minutes daily.
Further analysis revealed that one minute of VIPA was equivalent to 2.8 minutes of MIPA and 34.7 minutes of LIPA in reducing CVD risk. The study concluded that even modest daily amounts of vigorous or moderate IPA were beneficial in reducing cardiovascular risk, with LIPA offering weaker, but still statistically significant, associations. These findings emphasize the value of incidental physical activity as a practical alternative for individuals unable to engage in structured exercise.
Link to the article: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.072253
References Stamatakis, E., Biswas, R. K., Koemel, N. A., Sabag, A., Pulsford, R., Atkin, A. J., Stathi, A., Cheng, S., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Blodgett, J. M., Bauman, A., Celis-Morales, C., Hamer, M., Gill, J. M. R., & Ahmadi, M. N. (2025). Dose response of incidental physical activity against cardiovascular events and mortality. Circulation, 151(15), 1063–1075. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.072253
