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The amount of TV a person watches each day may influence his risk of dying from pulmonary embolism (PE), according to research published in Circulation.
Researchers evaluated more than 80,000 people in Japan and found the risk of PE death rose as TV viewing time increased.
People who watched TV for 2.5 to 4.9 hours each day had a 70% greater risk of dying from PE than people who watched less than 2.5 hours of TV a day.
For each additional 2 hours of TV watched each day, a person’s risk of PE death increased by 40%.
“Pulmonary embolism occurs at a lower rate in Japan than it does in Western countries, but it may be on the rise,” said study author Hiroyasu Iso, MD, PhD, of Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.
“The Japanese people are increasingly adopting sedentary lifestyles, which we believe is putting them at increased risk.”
To assess the link between TV viewing and PE death in Japan, Dr Iso and colleagues analyzed information on 86,024 subjects participating in the JACC study. This included 50,017 women and 36,007 men, ranging in age from 40 to 79.
From 1988 to 1990, the subjects completed a questionnaire that included information about average time spent watching TV each day.
The subjects were followed for a median of 19.2 years, until 2009. Mortality from PE was determined from death certificates. In all, 59 of the subjects died of PE.
The researchers calculated the risk of death from PE according to the amount of TV watched after adjusting for subjects’ age at baseline, sex, body mass index, history of hypertension, history of diabetes mellitus, smoking status, perceived mental stress, educational level, walking activity, and sports activity.
Compared to subjects who watched less than 2.5 hours of TV per day, those who watched 2.5 to 4.9 hours had an increased risk of PE death, with a hazard ratio of 1.7.
The risk was greater among subjects whose average TV viewing time was more than 5 hours per day, with a hazard ratio of 2.5.
The researchers said the actual risk of PE death may be higher because PE can be difficult to diagnose. They also pointed out that this study was conducted before computers, tablets, and smartphones became popular sources of information and entertainment.
“Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term ‘binge-watching’ to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programs in one sitting has become popular,” said study author Toru Shirakawa, MD, of Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. “This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit.”
Earlier results from this study were presented at the ESC Congress 2015.
