Medicine Media Relations
Mary Cushman, MD Photo from University of Vermont College of
ANAHEIM, CA—New research suggests a person’s risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases with the amount of time he or she spends watching television, even if that person is physically active.
Study participants who reported watching TV “very often” were more likely to develop VTE than those who reported watching TV “never or seldom,” and this was true even among subjects who met a recommended level of physical activity.
Mary Cushman, MD, of the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington, and her colleagues presented these findings in a poster at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017 (presentation S5169).
The researchers analyzed 15,158 middle-aged (45-64 years) subjects participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.
TV viewing habits and other information on these individuals was collected in 1987-1989, 1993-1995, and 2009-2011.
The researchers used a Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident VTE according to subjects’ frequency of TV viewing.
Options for TV viewing included “never or seldom,” “sometimes,” “often,” or “very often.”
The researchers identified 691 VTEs during the 299,767 person-years of follow-up.
A multivariable analysis revealed an increased risk of VTE with increased TV viewing. The HR was 1.71 (95% CI: 1.26-2.32; P for trend=0.036) for subjects who reported watching TV “very often,” compared to subjects who watched TV “never or seldom.”
Among subjects who met a recommended level of physical activity, the HR was 1.80 (95% CI: 1.04-3.09) for those who watched TV “very often,” compared to those who watched TV “never or seldom.”
The researchers noted that obesity was more common in subjects who watched more TV. However, only about 25% (95% CI: 10.7-27.5) of the increased VTE risk could be explained by the presence of obesity.
“Watching TV itself isn’t likely bad, but we tend to snack and sit still for prolonged periods while watching,” Dr Cushman noted.
“Health professionals should take the time to ask patients about their fitness and sedentary time, such as prolonged sitting watching TV or at a computer.”
