Prolonged TV watching can give us potentially fatal clots, warns Harvard doctor

Why do doctors say that sitting is the next smoking and that we should not be sitting continuously at our work desk too? Now research with 131,000 participants shows that even binge-watching TV for a few hours can render one vulnerable to developing blood clots that can lead to fatal strokes.
Binge-watching television

Binge-watching TV can create a potentially fatal health hazard, warns a study.

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The TV remote has turned generations after generations of us, humans, into couch potatoes.
  • How good is it to watch television endlessly, really?
  • With the OTT platforms and even the internet now watchable on TV screens, the addiction is complete.
Doctors and healthcare professionals can continue lecturing on the importance of staying active, but those who would rather binge-watching shows after shows will argue that they are active except for those 'few moments' before the telly.
This piece of news is for them. According to a report in Harvard Health, watching television for four or more hours a day is linked to a higher risk of developing dangerous blood clots. The Harvard report bases its warning on new research findings.
The study included more than 131,000 people, all ages 40 and older without venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE includes two serious conditions:
  1. Pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs) and
  2. Deep-vein thrombosis (clots in deep veins, usually in the legs).
The study divided participants into two groups, based on their TV viewing habits.
  1. Participants who reported watching television at least four hours a day were categorized as prolonged viewers.
  2. Those who watched less than 2.5 hours per day were deemed never-viewers or seldom-viewers.
The participants were included in a follow-up which ranged from just over five years to nearly 20 years. Their TV viewing habits were also tracked throughout the entire period. It was found that prolonged television viewers were 1.35 times more likely to develop VTE compared with never- or seldom-viewers. While the findings don’t prove cause and effect, the connection makes sense because sitting for long periods causes blood to pool in the legs, which can raise blood clot risk, according to the authors, who published their findings in a study report titled: Environmental and Occupational Aspects of Heart Disease; Risk Factors and Prevention. It was published on January 20, 2022, in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (EJPC).
The researchers say, "Take breaks when binge-watching TV to avoid blood clots."
“Our study findings also suggested that being physically active does not eliminate the increased risk of blood clots associated with prolonged TV watching,” said lead author Dr Setor Kunutsor of the University of Bristol, UK. “If you are going to binge on TV you need to take breaks. You can stand and stretch every 30 minutes or use a stationary bike. And avoid combining television with unhealthy snacking.”
The association was independent of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. “All three studies adjusted for these factors since they are strongly related to the risk of VTE; for instance, older age, higher BMI and physical inactivity are linked with an increased risk of VTE,” said Dr Kunutsor. “The findings indicate that regardless of physical activity, your BMI, how old you are and your gender, watching many hours of television is a risky activity with regards to developing blood clots.”
The researchers advise that whether at work or sitting before the telly, sitting for too long will create problems for circulation. “Prolonged TV viewing involves immobilisation which is a risk factor for VTE. This is why people are encouraged to move around after surgery or during a long-haul flight. In addition, when you sit in a cramped position for long periods, blood pools in your extremities rather than circulating and this can cause blood clots. Finally, binge-watchers tend to eat unhealthy snacks which may lead to obesity and high blood pressure which both raise the likelihood of blood clots,” Dr Kunutsor reportedly said, according to the report in EJPC.
But the researchers are also cautious about not scaremongering. They also emphasise that the findings are based on observational studies and do not prove that extended TV watching SURELY CAUSES blood clots.
Yet, for your own health, would you not rather find something to do so that you get up, stand, amble about (physically) so that the circulation does not come under stress?
Dangers of Deep Vein Thrombosis:
According to Mayo Clinic, "Deep vein thrombosis can be very serious because blood clots in your veins can break loose, travel through your bloodstream and get stuck in your lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism). However, pulmonary embolism can occur with no evidence of DVT."
Mayo Clinic also warns that pulmonary embolism, however, can occur with no evidence of DVT. When DVT and pulmonary embolism occur together, it's called venous thromboembolism (VTE).
According to Cleveland Clinic, any person who has signs of DVT or pulmonary embolism (or VTE) should be immediately taken to an Emergency Room of a well-equipped hospital.
What are the symptoms of DVT?
A DVT usually forms in one leg or one arm. Not everyone with a DVT will have symptoms, but symptoms can include:
  1. Sudden or slowly developed swelling of the leg or arm
  2. warmness or pain in the swollen limb
  3. Pain or tenderness in the leg on standing or walkingRedness or discolouration of the skin
  4. Veins near the skin’s surface are prominently seen
What are the symptoms of pulmonary embolism?
  1. Sudden shortness of breath or fast breathing
  2. Sharp chest pain that often comes with coughing or movement
  3. Pain in the back
  4. Cough - with or without bloody sputum/phlegm
  5. Sweating more than normal
  6. Fast heartbeat
  7. Feeling dizzy or fainting
Some people do not know they have a DVT until the clot moves from their leg or arm and travels to their lungs.
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