Sitting too much could lead to heart failure

Spending less time sitting may reduce your risk of heart failure, according to new research.

The findings were reported in Circulation: Heart Failure as well as published in the latest issue of the American Heart Association Journal. Dr. Deborah Rohm Young and her colleagues worked together to research the effects of sitting for long periods of time.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that five million people in the United States are affected by heart failure. It contributes to 1 in 9 deaths across the country and contributes to nearly $32 billion a year.

The researchers analyzed 8 years of data that included 84,000 men and found that sitting for long periods of time can increase the risk of heart failure in men, according to Medical News Today.

Young and her colleagues monitored how many hours a day that the men spent sitting, or in a sedentary position, according to Health Newsline. They took the information from a questionnaire that was given about the amount each man spent sitting outside of work.

"Be more active and sit less. That's the message here,” said Dr. Young. After all, it could save your life.