New research suggests that using a mobile phone for as little as 30 minutes per week may increase the risk of high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. The study found that individuals who spent this amount of time talking on the phone, even with hands-free devices, experienced a 12% higher risk of hypertension.
More than six hours of phone usage in a week increases
Furthermore, those who spent six hours per week on the phone had a 25% higher risk. This finding is concerning, as it may be contributing to the significant increase in the number of cases of this dangerous disease in recent decades.
According to Professor Xianhui Qin of Southern Medical University in China, the duration of mobile phone usage has an impact on heart health. A study conducted by a Chinese team analyzed data from over 212,000 individuals aged 30 and above from the UK Biobank. The research revealed that individuals who talked on their mobile phones for at least 30 minutes per week had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure.
Additionally, the study showed that longer weekly usage times correlated with increased risks of high blood pressure: 30-59 minutes (8% higher risk), one to three hours (13% higher risk), four to six hours (16% higher risk), and more than six hours (25% higher risk), when compared to participants who used their phones for less than five minutes per week. The study found no influence of years of use or hands-free setups on the likelihood of developing high blood pressure.
Electromagnetic fields from phones increase the risk of high blood pressure
A study has found that individuals with a high genetic risk of developing high blood pressure have a 33 per cent higher likelihood of developing the condition if they spend at least 30 minutes per week talking on a mobile phone. Overall, mobile phone users have a seven-per cent higher risk compared to non-users. It is believed that the electromagnetic fields emitted by phones may be responsible for this increased risk, which has also been associated with brain tumours.
