Study Finds: Simple Habits May Lower Risk of Second Heart Attack

Recent research has highlighted the significance of simple lifestyle modificawith a history of cardiac events.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, found that avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is the best way to fight off a second heart attack or other cardiac event, including chest pain or heart-related surgery.

The study followed 609 people ages 21 to 96 who went to the emergency department with symptoms of a heart attack. After leaving the hospital, participants wore movement trackers on their wrists for 30 days. Researchers then followed up a year later to see if additional cardiac events or death occurred.

Researchers tracked data from more than 600 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) symptoms from 2016 to 2020. The mean age was 62 years old and 52% were men. Patients wore a wrist-mounted device that tracked physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep for 30 days after being hospitalized. 

The group shared its findings in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.[1] Overall, patients who were the least active were associated with a heightened risk of experiencing an adverse cardiac event or death within one year. In fact, replacing even 30 minutes of sedentary time with sleep or even light amounts of physical activity was linked to a reduced cardiac event/mortality risk.

The findings have the potential to significantly alter care recommendations for patients after a cardiac event. Current rehabilitation programs typically emphasize structured exercise, which is often inaccessible or intimidating for some patients. This study supports incorporating low-barrier strategies such as reducing sedentary time and encouraging light movement or adequate sleep as additional interventions.

While the researchers noted their study is one of the first to deploy accelerometers to measure active versus inactive time, they said there is the possibility that the devices may have overestimated active time. Other limitations of the research included the absence of socioeconomic and environmental data that could affect health outcomes, and the discharge destination data were not collected, which limits the ability to measure and assess the influence of different care settings on patient recovery.

In addition to promoting physical activity, adequate sleep also plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health. The same study indicated that replacing sedentary time with an additional 30 minutes of sleep could lower the risk by 14% . This relationship emphasizes that both activity and rest are essential components for recovery and long-term health following a heart attack. Furthermore, excessive sedentary behavior significantly amplifies cardiac event risks; those who spent over 15 hours daily sitting were found to have a staggering increase in risk—2.5 times greater than those who sat less .

tions in reducing the risk of a second heart attack. A study conducted by Columbia University revealed that substituting just 30 minutes of sedentary activity with light exercise, such as walking, can lead to a 50% reduction in the likelihood of experiencing a second heart attack . Moreover, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity for the same duration decreased this risk by an impressive 61%. These findings underscore the importance of increasing physical activity levels among individuals

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Sarah H

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