A recently published study casts serious doubt on the touted health benefits of owning a standing desk. Researchers studying the incidence of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 83,013 UK adults found that substituting a few standing hours into a person’s daily desk time didn’t lower CVD risk, and standing for long periods brought along some of its own potential health issues. Specifically, the 6.9-year study (h/t the Washington Post), notes that standing increases the risk of health problems like varicose veins, abnormally low blood pressure, and blood clots.
The scientists behind the new study, Matthew N Ahmadi, Pieter Coenen, Leon Straker, and Emmanuel Stamatakis hint that they began their sizable and wide-ranging study as previous research on the topic of standing desks was scarce and inconclusive. While good research was difficult to come by, product marketers haven’t held back on promoting successive generations of standing desks as healthier, more ergonomic, or even good for you.
