According to a new study, each hour spent sitting may increase the risk of heart attack by about 14 per cent.

The study, which will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session, said that sitting for long hours leads to coronary artery calcification which is an indicator of heart problems. The study said that this is this may happen irrespective of the amount of exercise one may get.

Health experts warned that people must change lifestyles to adopt a healthier way of living in order to reduce the risk of heart attacks. They researchers found no link between coronary artery calcification and the amount of exercise a person gets. The researchers said that too much sitting may also eliminate the impact of exercise on coronary artery calcium.

The lead author of the study, Jacquelyn Kulinski, M. D. said that reducing the number of hours in sitting may help reduce cardiovascular risk. The latest study comes after several studies linking excess sitting with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and early death. It is known as "sitting disease" and experts said that it is a lifestyle risk factor and can be avoided with healthier lifestyles.

Dr. Jacquelyn Kulinski a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Medical University of Wisconsin said, "It's clear that exercising is important to reduce your cardiovascular risk and improve your fitness level. But this study would suggest that reducing how much you sit every day may represent a more novel, companion strategy to help reduce your cardiovascular risk."