Is chasing dramas harmful to "blood clots"? Study: Watching screens for more than 4 hours increases venous thrombosis by 35%
Worried that your blood vessels will get clogged if you watch dramas for a long time? Study: Sitting for 4 hours increases the risk of venous thromboembolism
If you’re watching dramas at home in the winter, remember to get up and walk around from time to time! A recent study published in the “European Journal of Preventive Cardiology” shows that watching TV shows for a long time, staring at the screen and sitting for more than four hours may increase the risk of blood clots and venous embolism.
“Venous embolism” is usually considered to be related to pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) and deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs. When plaque in a vein breaks off and travels through the vein blocking blood flow elsewhere in the body, it can eventually cause a pulmonary embolism, a relatively dangerous condition if the plaque ends up in the lungs. .
The team of study author Setor Kunutsor conducted a survey among 131,421 subjects aged about 40 years and above. The subjects had no previous risk factors for venous embolism or thrombosis. A questionnaire was used to investigate the TV viewing time of the subjects, and the subjects were divided into 2 groups: those who watch TV for a long time, who watch for more than 4 hours at a time; and those who never/rarely watch TV, who watch less times a day. in 2.5 hours.
The average random access time is around 5.1 to 19.8 years. During this period, 964 subjects developed venous thrombosis. Based on data on TV viewing time and venous disease, the study found that compared with people who never/rarely watch TV, those who watch TV for a long time are more likely to develop venous thrombosis. 1.35 times more likely. In addition, people who watch TV for a long time are 35% more likely to have venous thrombosis than the average person.
Decreased blood circulation is harmful! Exercise and stretch regularly if you sit for long periods of time
Setor Kunutsor said that the study has eliminated differences in variables such as age, gender, BMI and exercise habits, which may affect the risk of venous thrombosis. However, studies have shown that regardless of exercise habits, weight, age and gender, watching more than 4 hours of TV programs is associated with a higher risk of venous thrombosis.
Is there really a connection between watching TV frequently and venous thrombosis? Setor Kunutsor believes that the conjectural reason is that watching TV for a long time is a form of “sedentary”, and sitting for a long time is a high risk factor for venous thrombosis. When sitting in a narrow seat for a long time, the blood in the limbs will begin to condense, and the blood circulation speed will decrease, which will also increase the chance of venous embolism. This is why people are encouraged to get up and move around after surgery or a long flight.
Setor Kunutsor said that those who watch TV for long periods of time often consume unhealthy snacks or snacks, which can lead to obesity and high blood pressure problems, or increase plaque formation in blood vessels. However, Setor Kunutsor also admitted that the correlation between the two is based on observational studies and cannot prove the inevitable relationship between watching TV for a long time and venous thrombosis.
Setor Kunutsor reminds people that people spend too much time in front of TVs and screens and should limit screen or TV usage time. The WHO issued a statement in 2019, recommending that children under 5 years old should not watch screens for more than 1 hour. Initiatives or publicity from public health organizations may be helpful in limiting screen time.
Setor Kunutsor suggests that if you really have to watch TV for a long time, you should do it with regular exercise or stretching to maintain blood circulation. Especially office workers, if they need to sit for more than 8 hours at work, they should remember to get up and walk around from time to time to help blood circulation and reduce the occurrence of related vascular problems.
Source:
Television viewing and venous thrombo-embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Further reading:
