{"id":115537,"date":"2025-10-11T13:09:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T13:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/115537\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T13:09:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T13:09:08","slug":"doctor-warns-sitting-for-too-long-can-increase-risk-of-venous-stasis-shares-6-daily-habits-harming-your-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/115537\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor warns \u2018sitting for too long can increase risk of venous stasis\u2019; shares 6 daily habits harming your heart health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Heart disease<\/a> doesn\u2019t develop overnight – it\u2019s often the result of everyday habits that slowly chip away at cardiovascular health. From what we eat and drink to how we sleep, move, and manage stress, small daily choices can have a big impact on the heart over time. The good news? With simple lifestyle changes, it\u2019s possible to reverse much of this damage and build a stronger, healthier heart.<\/p>\n

\"Individuals Individuals with sedentary jobs are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. (Unsplash) <\/p>\n

Also Read |<\/strong> Russian cardiologist says cutting out salt can lower blood pressure, shares 7 simple ways to tackle high blood pressure<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr Kunal Sood, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician, has highlighted six seemingly harmless daily habits that may, in fact, be quietly damaging your heart. In an Instagram video posted on October 10, he explains how routine behaviours – from consuming excessive amounts of ultra-processed and sugary foods to living under constant stress – can take a serious toll on cardiovascular health<\/a> and overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n

1. Ultra-processed foods<\/p>\n

According to Dr Sood, ultra-processed<\/a> foods are mostly made of refined starches, sugars and industrial fats, which are extremely unhealthy due to their high sodium content, along with trans fats and additives used to extend shelf life. He warns that consuming too much of ultra-processed foods can harm your blood vessels, and adds, \u201cAbout 70-80% of dietary sodium comes from processed foods, which also remain major sources of trans fats even after bans.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Sugary drinks<\/p>\n

Dr Sood highlights, \u201cA 12-ounce soda has about 35-40 grams of sugar that spikes blood glucose and insulin<\/a> within minutes. Repeated surges impair insulin sensitivity, while fructose in these drinks drives liver fat production and raises triglycerides.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Sitting for too long<\/p>\n

\u201cProlonged sitting reduces calf muscle pumping and blood flow, increasing venous stasis and clot risk. Three hours of uninterrupted sitting measurably worsens endothelial function,\u201d stresses the doctor. Additionally, individuals with sedentary jobs who sit for more than 10 hours a day face nearly three times the risk of developing dangerous blood clots.<\/p>\n

4. Poor sleep<\/p>\n

Not taking your daily rest seriously can cause a series of health issues in the long run. Dr Sood explains, \u201cShort or fragmented sleep activates the sympathetic system, raises norepinephrine, and blunts normal nighttime BP dipping. Controlled trials show higher 24-hour mean arterial pressure and reduced endothelial dilation after sleep restriction.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Vaping and smoking<\/p>\n

According to Dr Sood, both smoking <\/a>and vaping damage the endothelium and blunt nitric oxide release. He explains, \u201cEven one vaping session increases arterial stiffness and BP. Chronic smokers and vapers show reduced flow-mediated dilation – proof of vascular injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also Read | <\/strong>Hepatologist ‘The Liver Doc’ warns young gym-goers after Varinder Singh Ghuman\u2019s death: \u2018Muscles don\u2019t always mean\u2026\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Chronic stress<\/p>\n

Chronic stress is extremely injurious to the heart since it keeps cortisol <\/a>levels high and triggers \u201cglucocorticoid resistance\u201d – a condition where the immune cells stop responding, leading to inflammation. This is why stress management is essential and Dr Sood adds, \u201cElevated IL-6 and TNF-\u03b1 levels promote endothelial injury and atherosclerosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Heart disease doesn\u2019t develop overnight – it\u2019s often the result of everyday habits that slowly chip away at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[71127,71129,71130,18,71128,71126,135,11460,19,17],"class_list":{"0":"post-115537","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-daily-habits-that-harm-heart-health","9":"tag-dangers-of-eating-ultra-processed-foods","10":"tag-dangers-of-sugary-drinks","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-habits-damaging-heart-health","13":"tag-habits-harming-heart","14":"tag-health","15":"tag-heart-health","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}