Excessive TV Watching Increases Risk of Death

According to a new research conducted by the American Heart Association, watching a lot of television on a daily basis may add to the risk of dying due to a blood clot in the lung. Medically termed as pulmonary embolism, the blood clot in the lung generally starts as a clot in the pelvis or leg due to idleness or inactivity. If the clot breaks away, it can pass through to the lung and get stuck in a small blood vessel, which is extremely hazardous. Moreover, researchers have also found out that in comparison to the individuals who watched less than 2.5 hours television every day, losses due to pulmonary embolism augmented by:

  • Seventy percent amongst those who watched television from 2.5 to 4.9 hours
  • Forty percent for every extra two hours of television watching every day
  • 5 times amongst the ones who watched television for five or more hours

According to professor of public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine and study corresponding author, “Pulmonary embolism occurs at a lower rate in Japan than it does in Western countries, but it may be on the rise. The Japanese people are increasingly adopting sedentary lifestyles, which we believe is putting them at increased risk.” Shortness of breath and chest pain are the most common symptoms of pulmonary embolism. Researchers give explanation for a number of factors that might have influenced the results, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cigarette smoking. After excessive TV watching, obesity is considered the next strongest connection to pulmonary embolism. According to Toru Shirakawa, M.D., study first author and a research fellow in public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, “The findings may be particularly relevant to Americans. Other studies indicate U.S. adults watch more television than Japanese adults. Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term ‘binge-watching’ to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programs in one sitting has become popular. This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit.”http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2016/07/26/american-heart-association-reports-excessive-daily-tv-watching-may-increase-risk-death/

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According to a new research conducted by the American Heart Association, watching a lot of television on a daily basis may add to the risk of dying due to a blood clot in the lung. Medically termed as pulmonary embolism, the blood clot in the lung generally starts as a clot in the pelvis or leg due to idleness or inactivity. If the clot breaks away, it can pass through to the lung and get stuck in a small blood vessel, which is extremely hazardous. Moreover, researchers have also found out that in comparison to the individuals who watched less than 2.5 hours television every day, losses due to pulmonary embolism augmented by:

  • Seventy percent amongst those who watched television from 2.5 to 4.9 hours
  • Forty percent for every extra two hours of television watching every day
  • 5 times amongst the ones who watched television for five or more hours

According to professor of public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine and study corresponding author, “Pulmonary embolism occurs at a lower rate in Japan than it does in Western countries, but it may be on the rise. The Japanese people are increasingly adopting sedentary lifestyles, which we believe is putting them at increased risk.” Shortness of breath and chest pain are the most common symptoms of pulmonary embolism. Researchers give explanation for a number of factors that might have influenced the results, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cigarette smoking. After excessive TV watching, obesity is considered the next strongest connection to pulmonary embolism. According to Toru Shirakawa, M.D., study first author and a research fellow in public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, “The findings may be particularly relevant to Americans. Other studies indicate U.S. adults watch more television than Japanese adults. Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term ‘binge-watching’ to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programs in one sitting has become popular. This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit.”http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2016/07/26/american-heart-association-reports-excessive-daily-tv-watching-may-increase-risk-death/

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