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People who spend hours bingeing on television shows run the risk of suffering a fatal pulmonary embolism, according to a major new study of more than 86,000 people tracked over 18 years.
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage in the artery that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, and is usually caused by a blood clot formed in a vein in the leg. Up to 60,000 people die as a result of pulmonary embolism each year in Britain.
Those who indulge in marathon TV sessions should take the same precautions against developing deadly blood clots as they would on a long-distance flight, warns the research, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in London.
It is the first study into the links between prolonged television watching and fatal pulmonary embolism. A boom in online television services in recent years has allowed people to download and watch entire series of shows such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black in one sitting.
But people who sit in front of the television for five hours or more a day have more than twice the risk of suffering a deadly blood clot as those watching less than two and a half hours per day, the research says. And the danger of having a fatal pulmonary embolism is even higher among those between 40 and 59 who watch more than five hours daily.
They are at more than six times greater risk than those watching less than 2.5 hours a day. And in this age group, those watching 2.5 to 4.9 hours of television daily are more than three times more likely to develop a fatal blood clot than those watching less.
The research, funded by the Japanese government, looked at 36,007 men and 50,017 women aged between 40 and 79. Participants reported how much television they watched each day and were then followed for 18 years as part of the Japanese Collaborative Cohort Study. During the course of the study, there were 59 deaths from pulmonary embolism.
The risks of watching television were calculated after adjusting for other factors such as a history of hypertension or diabetes, smoking, drinking, and body mass index.
“We have known about the relationship between prolonged sitting and pulmonary embolism for some time, but this is the first time a direct link between prolonged television watching and fatal pulmonary embolism has been shown,” said Dr Toru Shirakawa, public health research fellow in the Department of Social Medicine at Osaka University in Japan, who led the research.
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Health news: in pictures Lie-in could lead obesity and diabetes People who find it difficult to get out of bed at the weekends are more likely to suffer from chronic health problems such as obesity and diabetes compared to individuals who are up with the lark even when they do not have to go to work, a study has found
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Health news: in pictures Dentists breach NHS rules with unclear pricing and guidance Some NHS dentists are breaching rules by failing to offer clear pricing information and automatically offering private treatment – potentially resulting in patients being overcharged, an investigation has revealed
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Health news: in pictures A drink a night 'is better for your heart In what may prove to be badly timed news for those struggling to observe “dry January”, scientists have discovered that having up to seven drinks a week may give you a better chance of avoiding heart failure than people who abstain from alcohol completely. A study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that in middle-aged men, drinking up to seven small glasses of wine or about three and a half pints of beer a week was associated with a 20 per cent lower risk of developing heart failure when compared with teetotallers
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Health news: in pictures Cancer survival rate soars A record 2.5 million people are now living with cancer or the after-effects of it, threatening “a crisis of unmanageable proportions” for the NHS, a leading charity has warned.
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Health news: in pictures A&E waits Waiting times in NHS accident and emergency (A&E) departments across England are at their worst in a decade. Figures released show emergency units are failing to see 95 per cent of patients within four-hour target.
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Health news: in pictures You'll catch a cold In findings which they say “give credence” to countless maternal warnings about wearing a scarf, experts at Yale University found that viruses that cause the common cold replicate more effectively at the lower temperatures encountered in the extremities of the body – such as the nose.
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Health news: in pictures Rethinking calories Bodies do less work when eating foods that have been softened by cooking - so we keep more of the calories. Stale foods like day-old cooked spaghetti, or pizza, will give you fewer calories than the same foods eaten piping hot.
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Health news: in pictures New IVF treatment A senior science adviser has warned that plans to allow the creation of so-called “three-parent” in vitro fertilisation (IVF) babies as early as next year are premature because of unresolved safety concerns about the future health of the children
Health news: in pictures Intracellular sigma peptide (ISP) drug to help paralysed people A drug that could eventually help paralysed people regain muscle movement – and possibly even walk again – has been discovered by scientists in the USA
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Health news: in pictures Stroke protection gene Scientists have discovered a gene that protects people from the most common cause of stroke in young and middle-aged people. The gene, which was isolated by studying the DNA of nearly 16,000 patients across the USA and Europe, also reduces the risk of migraines and could lower heart attack risk
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Health news: in pictures Mediterranean diet to combat obesity It’s long been known that a Mediterranean diet is linked to a longer life – but it could make for a slimmer one too. Despite featuring food often high in fat and calories, a Mediterranean diet could help to tackle obesity and lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes
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Health news: in pictures Crying is good for you If you’ve ever thought it strange that you cry when you’re happy, then you’re not alone - but now scientists have discovered that tears are actually a logical response to joy. A Yale psychologist has carried out a series of studies which show that crying is the body’s way of “restoring emotional equilibrium” during a period of intense feeling
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Health news: in pictures HIV could help cure cancer A man suffering with an aggressive form of leukaemia is now in remission after doctors used the HIV virus to target and kill cancer cells. The treatment is the result of two decades of research by Dr Carl June and his team at Penn Medicine, who produced a study on the “leukaemia-specific killers”
Health news: in pictures Drinking while pregnant The official advice from the Department of Health and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) states in its guidelines that women should avoid alcohol altogether during pregnancy, or that if they do choose to drink, it should be no more than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week
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Health news: in pictures A new virus that could make you stupid A new virus has been discovered, but rather than giving you a sore throat, it affects a very different part of the body. According to scientists in the US, the algae virus affects the human brain, and can impair our cognitive functions. Scientists are basically saying there’s something we can catch that will make us stupid
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Health news: in pictures New (STD) gonorrhea found A new strain of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhoea which is resistant to a range of antibiotics has been identified in Australia. Known among scientists as A8806, the strain was discovered late last year in a European woman who was travelling in Australia. After she had sex with a new partner, she noticed she had unusual vaginal discharge a week later, and was diagnosed with the STD
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Health news: in pictures "Kissing bug" disease Researchers at the annual gathering of tropical medicine experts have warned of a deadly "kissing bug"disease from abroad that is threatening world health. Called a silent killer because it's often hard to diagnose in the early stages, chagas is a parasitic infection that can lead to serious cardiac and intestinal complications and even death. It typically spreads through blood-sucking "kissing" bugs that bite on people's faces during the night and is estimated to affect seven to eight million people worldwide
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Health news: in pictures Caesarean births Babies born through Caesarean section are more likely to develop autism, a new study claims. The surgical delivery raises the risk of the disorder by 23 per cent. Read more: http://ind.pn/1tAjKtU
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Health news: in pictures Cocoa benefits Cocoa can help to slow and even reverse age-related memory loss. Scientists believe that flavanols, the antioxidants inside cocoa beans, can give people in their sixties the memory of a “typical 30 or 40-year-old”. Read more: http://ind.pn/1DSbWHc
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Health news: in pictures Feeling SAD New research has shown that one in three people in the UK suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the findings, women are 40 per cent more likely than men to experience symptoms of the condition sometimes referred to as “winter depression”. Read more: http://ind.pn/ZPOUlc
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Health news: in pictures Cough medicine Cough medicines are a waste of money and no better than homemade remedies as there is "weak" evidence that they work, a leading doctor has warned. Read more: http://ind.pn/1wMjRBh
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Health news: in pictures Crash diets Crash diets can be more successful than gradual weight loss, a new study has claimed, in a major contradiction of current dietary guidance. Read more: http://ind.pn/1DeElXE
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Health news: in pictures Diabetes breakthrough A breakthrough in type-1 diabetes, which affects about 400,000 children and adults in Britain, has resulted from a study showing that it is possible to make vast quantities of insulin-producing cells for patient transplants. Read more: http://bit.ly/1uQKFBL
Health news: in pictures Ebola screening Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the decision to introduce enhanced screening for Ebola at major airports and terminals, saying it had been taken on "medical advice". Read more: http://ind.pn/ZykYtD
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Health news: in pictures Cannabis study over 20 years Almost as many teenagers and young adults smoke cannabis as cigarettes, a study of the drug’s effects on health has found. Read more: http://ind.pn/1vPar9W
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Health news: in pictures Anti-alcohol pill People who drink half a bottle of wine or more than three pints every night are being offered a life-saving pill to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume. Read more: http://ind.pn/1x5T4ki
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Health news: in pictures Freezing eggs Healthy women who wish to delay starting a family until they are in their forties and fifties should be allowed to freeze their eggs in treatments currently reserved for cancer patients, international fertility experts have said. Read more: http://ind.pn/1vD4j4h
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Health news: in pictures Red wine could combat acne Researchers sayResearchers at UCLA found the antioxidant resveratrol, which can be found in grapes, wine and berries, worked wonders when combined with the traditional acne treatment of benzoyl peroxide. Read more: http://ind.pn/1pHLhmB
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Health news: in pictures Stub it out Britain’s ten million smokers are being encouraged to bin the cigarettes as part of the annual Stoptober campaign, which challenges everyone to quit for one month during October. Read more: http://ind.pn/1rqGPzl
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Health news: in pictures The many benefits of olive oil Olive oil could help reverse a patient’s heart failure "immediately", scientists have claimed. Oleate - the fat found in the golden liquid - could help a diseased heart pump blood more effectively and use body fat as fuel, researchers at the University of Illinois have found. Read more: http://ind.pn/1uz2Zk7
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Health news: in pictures The Scough The makers of a new scarf claim it could protect its wearers from catching flu this winter. Scough, which uses military-grade technology, embeds masks within their scarves or bandanas so as to look less outlandish to commuters, who the product is marketed at. Read more: http://ind.pn/1qS59nl
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Health news: in pictures All patients are not equal The Government fund that pays for life-extending drugs for terminally ill cancer patients “undermines” the NHS principle that all patients are equal, and gives a “perverse incentive” to drug companies to keep their prices high, a healthcare finance expert has claimed. Read more: http://ind.pn/1qNyJuf
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Health news: in pictures Calorific cuts Soft drinks companies in the US have pledged to help cut the calories that Americans consume from their drinks by a fifth. Drinks giants the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. promised to make the 20 per cent cut before 2025, as part of efforts to tackle the nation’s obesity crisis and escalating diabetes and heart disease rates. Read more: http://ind.pn/1rlyiLv
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Health news: in pictures Toughest anti-smoking laws France, where a Gauloise once hung from the bottom lip of every actor or intellectual, plans to move to one of the toughest anti-tobacco regimes in the world. As well as strict packaging rules, car drivers and passengers will be banned from lighting up in the presence of children. Read more http://ind.pn/1uN45VQ
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Health news: in pictures Understanding anti-depressants Anti-depressant medication can affect a patient’s brain in just three hours, according to a new study. It was previously understood that SSRIs affect a patient over a period of weeks. Read more: http://ind.pn/1uQLxFx
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Health news: in pictures Stress at work People fearful of losing their jobs are 60 per cent more likely to develop asthma for the first time as a result of their stress, according to a major new study. Read more: http://ind.pn/1tWBQpD
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Health news: in pictures CoppaFeel! launches campaign The charity says the sexualisation of breasts has led to women thinking about their boobs only in terms of size, rather than feel, so they've launched a campaign to show breasts in a non-sexual way for cancer awareness. Read more: http://ind.pn/1v8dA2j
Health news: in pictures Could the menopause be eliminated? A pioneering scientist has claimed the menopause could be eliminated within 20 years. Aubrey de Grey, a stem cell scientist, has claimed rapid progress in stem cell and regenerative therapies may mean the current limits on when women are able to conceive and give birth could vanish. Read more: http://ind.pn/1wA1YpS
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Health news: in pictures Blood tests for depression Depression could be diagnosed by a blood test, according to newly published American research, which has found chemicals in the blood of people with the condition. Read more: http://ind.pn/1wm6vw3
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Health news: in pictures Public transport beats driving Taking public transport instead of driving to work appears to make people happier and helps them to sleep better, according to a new study. It is thought that the exercise taken to walk to the bus stop or station and then the relaxation while travelling helps to make people feel better. Read more: http://ind.pn/1uOiEbR
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Health news: in pictures Spooning is not good for bad backs For the first time ever, scientists have successfully documented the way the spine moves during sex and discovered how certain positions are better than others when it comes to avoiding back pain. Read more: http://ind.pn/1BtdAxI
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Health news: in pictures Why you should wash your hands A virus can spread around a whole building within two hours of coming into contact with just one surface, a new study has found. A team at the University of Arizona, Tucson found that when a virus, for example the norovirus, contaminates a single doorknob or elevator button it spreads rapidly through entire office buildings, hotels or hospitals. Read more: http://ind.pn/1sbjIYh
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Health news: in pictures Our heads hurt The average Briton spends over a year of their life nursing a hangover - and it takes women two hours longer than men to recover. People will spend on average 315 days of their lives battling with inevitable headaches and nausea caused by a hard night’s drinking, Macmillan Cancer Support estimates. Read more: http://ind.pn/1qWVjnF
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Health news: in pictures The V word Half of young women are unable to properly label a vagina on a medical diagram, while 65 per cent have admitted they have a problem simply using the words vagina or vulva. Read more: http://ind.pn/Z4tm4f
A long-haul flight in an economy-class seat is a well-known cause of pulmonary embolism, according to Dr Shirakawa, “But the public health concern is that in general people are more likely to watch many hours of television than taking long-haul flights.” He added: “To prevent the occurrence of pulmonary embolism, we recommend the same preventive behaviour used against economy-class syndrome. That is, take a break, stand up, and walk around during the television viewing. Drinking water for preventing dehydration is also important.”
The findings mean that the average British pensioner is at risk. People aged over 65 watch more television than any other age group, at five hours and 40 minutes a day, according to Ofcom. And it’s not just pensioners who would fall into the risk category, for the average Briton watches three hours and 40 minutes a day.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “While we wouldn’t advocate a public health warning for watching television, people who spend many hours in front of the TV should consider how this might be impacting their heart health.” He added: “In addition to these findings, sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity both increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, so it’s important to take breaks and keep active in bursts of at least 10 minutes or more.”
And Professor Stephen Spiro, honorary medical adviser at the British Lung Foundation, said: “Staying seated for hours without moving in front of a television or a computer can be potentially dangerous – the same goes for long car journeys and flights. The message people should take from this is that if you are sitting still for more than two hours, get up and walk about for 10 minutes and get your circulation moving again.”
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