Sedentary behaviour is associated with heightened cardiovascular, inflammatory and cortisol reactivity to acute psychological stress

Background: Sedentary behaviour is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Exaggerated psychobiological responses to acute psychological stress increase CVD risk. Sedentary behaviour is associated with characteristics that can predict large psychobiological stress response patterns (e.g., elevated resting blood pressure and systemic inflammation), but it is currently unknown whether sedentary behaviour and stress reactivity are directly linked. The aim of this study was to examine associations between device-assessed sedentary behaviour and measures of stress reactivity.

Methods: Sixty-one healthy adults wore an activPAL (thigh) and ActiGraph (wrist) for seven days to measure habitual levels of sedentary behaviour (mean ± SD = 9.96 ± 1.48 hours/day) and moderateto-vigorous physical activity (mean ± SD = 101.82 ± 42.92 minutes/day). Participants then underwent stress reactivity testing, where beat-to-beat cardiovascular (e.g., blood pressure, total peripheral resistance), inflammatory (plasma interleukin-6, leukocytes) and salivary cortisol measurements were taken in response to an 8-minute socially evaluative Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test.

Results: Higher volumes of daily sedentary behaviour were associated with larger stress responses for diastolic blood pressure (Β=1.264, 95%CI=0.537—1.990, p=.005), total peripheral resistance (Β=40.563, 95%CI=19.310—61.812, p<.001), interleukin-6 (Β=0.219, 95%CI=0.109—0.329, p<.001) and cortisol (Β=1.844, 95%CI=1.139—2.549, p<.001). These findings emerged independent of a priori determined covariates, including daily levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and adiposity.

Discussion: Exaggerated stress reactivity is characteristic of high sedentary behaviour and could be a novel mechanism linking sedentary behaviour with CVD. Future work should examine the impact of reducing sedentary behaviour on measures of stress reactivity, as this may have clinical relevance for preventing CVD.