Finding the best ways to take short breaks from sitting to improve heart health
Official title: Breaking up Prolonged Sedentary Behavior to Improve Cardiometabolic Health: An Adaptive Dose-Finding Study
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11072049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to discover the most effective and comfortable ways for adults to take short breaks from sitting to help prevent heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $699,939 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL153642-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11072049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This opportunity is designed for adults aged 21 and older who are interested in improving their heart and metabolic health through behavioral changes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are unable to incorporate regular physical activity breaks into their daily routine may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
Many of us sit for long periods, which can be harmful to our heart health. While we know that moving more and sitting less is good, we don't have clear guidelines on how often or for how long these "sedentary breaks" should be. This project will carefully test different frequencies and durations of short activity breaks to find out what works best. Our goal is to provide clear, practical advice that people can easily follow to improve their heart and metabolic health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research will provide clear, actionable guidelines for how often and for how long people should take breaks from sitting to reduce their risk of heart disease.
How similar studies have gone: While general recommendations exist to sit less, this specific approach to rigorously determine the optimal frequency and duration of sedentary breaks is novel and has not been thoroughly tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Diaz, Keith M — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Diaz, Keith M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.