Limiting time spent in front of the TV to one hour or less per day may cut your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, a study suggests. Having a sedentary lifestyle and spending too long sitting down is known to be a major risk factor for heart disease.
Researchers in Hong Kong reviewed data from almost 350,000 Britons with an average age of 56. Those who watched two hours or more of TV per day were 12% more likely to develop heart disease involving the build-up of plaques in arteries.
The experts also assessed each participant’s genetic risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which can increase risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
For those with a high genetic risk, watching less TV appeared to offset the effects of their predisposition.
Study leader Dr Youngwon Kim, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong in Pokfulam, said: “Watching TV, which accounts for more than half of daily sedentary behaviour, is consistently associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis.
“Our study provides new insights into the roles of limiting TV viewing time in the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases for everyone and especially in people with a high genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes.”
A fifth of people involved in the study reported watching TV for one hour or less per day, while 79% clocked up two or more hours daily.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Dr Damon Swift, chair of the AHA’s Physical Activity Committee, said the study highlighted the potential impact of lifestyle changes.
He added: “These findings add to the evidence that sitting time may represent a potential intervention tool to improve health in people in general, and specifically for people with a high risk for Type 2 diabetes.”
