A study by the University of Hong Kong, University of Cambridge, and the Epidemiology Unit of the Medical Research Council have found that watching TV for less than an hour daily reduces the risk of heart disease. The team found that watching less TV could lower one in nine cases of coronary heart disease despite genetic predisposition.
The study could impact the rates of coronary heart disease
The researchers also concluded that watching a minimum of one hour of TV a day could reduce heart disease by 11%. This finding could significantly impact coronary heart disease is a significant cause of death. It affects 1 in 15 women and 1 in 8 men. The condition also makes people two times more likely to have a stroke.
Living a sedentary life raises the risk for coronary heart disease. This includes people who sit for too long rather than exercise. Watching TV is one of the ways people could live a sedentary lifestyle as it requires them to sit for long periods.
How researchers conducted the study
The researchers evaluated 500,000 adults from the UK Biobank who had been surveyed for twelve years. They looked into the link between DNA and sedentary behaviour like watching TV and using computers.
The team then made a polymeric risk score for the study participants. This score looks into the risk of an individual developing heart disease based on the 300 genes that increase the likelihood of the disease. Participants with a higher polymeric score were more likely to develop coronary heart disease.
The findings showed that people who watched TV for more than four hours daily were more likely to develop coronary heart disease despite their polymeric risk score. People who watched TV for between two and three hours a day were 6% less Kelly to develop the condition despite their score. Those who watched TV for less than an hour were 16% less Kelly to have the disease.
The risk of developing coronary heart disease decreased when the participants watched less TV despite their genetic risk. Moreover, the time spent using computers for leisure didn’t seem to impact the risk of developing heart disease.
