Binge TV viewing could be fatal
People who spend long hours bingeing on television shows have a risk of suffering a fatal pulmonary embolism, according to a major study of more than 86,000 people tracked over 18 years.
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage in the artery that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, and is caused by a blood clot formed in a vein in the leg. In Britain around 60,000 people die as a result of pulmonary embolism each year.
Those who watch TV for long hours should take the same precautions against developing deadly blood clots as they would on a longdistance flight, warns the research.
People who sit and watch television for five hours or more a day have more than twice the risk of suffering a deadly blood clot as those watching less than two and a half hours per day, the research says.
The danger of having a fatal pulmonary embolism is higher among those between 40 and 59 who watch more than five hours daily. They are at more than six times greater risk than those watching less than 2.5 hours a day .
During the course of the study, there were 59 deaths from pulmonary embolism. The risks of watching television were calculated after adjusting for other factors such as a history of hypertension or diabetes, smoking, drinking, and body mass index.
Written by: Dr Ajay Sati.
