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A study presented at the ESC Congress 2023 found that sedentary time from childhood to young adulthood is linked to heart damage, even in individuals with normal weight and blood pressure. Conducted as part of the “Children of the 90s” study, it tracked 766 children using smartwatches to measure activity levels at ages 11, 15, and 24. The study revealed that increased sedentary time correlates with a rise in left ventricular mass, a marker for heart damage.

Key findings include:

  • Children were sedentary for over six hours daily, increasing by nearly three hours by young adulthood.
  • Each additional minute of inactivity from ages 11 to 24 was associated with a measurable increase in heart mass.
  • This increase in heart mass is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and death in adulthood.

The study emphasizes the importance of encouraging physical activity in children and teenagers to protect their long-term heart health.