Associations of Reducing Sedentary Time With Vascular Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Older Sedentary Adults

BACKGROUND: We previously reported increased moderate-intensity (3-6 metabolic equivalents (METs)) physical activity (PA) reverses aging-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction, a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk. Whether reductions in sedentary time alone contribute to this improvement is unknown. METHODS: Data from 96 adults (aged ≥50 years) enrolled in a randomized control trial evaluating a 12-week intervention to increase PA in sedentary individuals were analyzed. Amount and intensity of activity were measured pre- and post-intervention by step count and accelerometry. Subjects were divided into 3 categories based on change in sedentary activity (<1. 5 METs): (i) ≥5% reduction in sedentary time, (ii) 0-4.99% reduction, and (iii) increase sedentary time. Vascular endothelial function was measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD%) pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Sedentary time decreased overall (P = 0.001), with a 101-minute decrease in category 1 (N = 27, P < 0.001), a 42-minute decrease in category 2 (N = 29, P = 0.003), and a 44-minute increase in category 3 (N = 40, P = 0.02). While FMD% increased in the entire study population (P = 0.008) over 12 weeks, no differences were observed between the categories (P = 0.73). In category 1, FMD% improvement was associated achievement of ≥20 minutes/day of moderate intensity PA in bouts ≥ 10 minutes in length. CONCLUSIONS: Reductions of up to 100 minutes of sedentary time per day over 12 weeks was not significantly associated with improved vascular endothelial function in older adults. FMD% was significantly higher among those with lower sedentary behavior and concomitant moderate-intensity PA of ≥20 minutes/day in bouts.