Prolonged TV Watching Increases Risk of Stroke

Leisure Activities Mainly Done Sitting, Such as Using Mobile Phones or Computers, Are the Same

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] Spending more than 8 hours a day watching TV or sitting mostly while reading or playing games increases the risk of stroke by up to 7 times.

Researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada reported on the 19th (local time) in the professional journal Stroke, published by the American Stroke Association (ASA) under the American Heart Association (AHA), that they tracked the health and lifestyle of 143,000 Canadian adults for an average of 9.4 years and found 2,965 cases of stroke during the same period. Among them, strokes occurred particularly frequently in those who mainly engaged in sedentary leisure activities and did little exercise.

According to the AHA, American adults spend an average of 10.5 hours a day watching TV or using mobile phones or computers. For those aged 50 to 65, this time is even longer.

Past research results indicate that the longer the time spent in leisure activities with little physical movement, the higher the probability of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as stroke. Nine out of ten stroke cases originate from such easily preventable risk factors.

All participants in this study had no history of cancer, heart disease, or stroke at the beginning of the investigation. The researchers used hospital records to identify who suffered a stroke during the follow-up period.

The researchers divided the participants into four groups based on the time spent on sedentary leisure activities such as watching TV, using computers, and reading. They also divided them into four groups according to daily physical activity time. The group with the least physical activity spent only 10 minutes walking.

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Dr. Raed Jundi, a neurologist at the University of Calgary who led this study, pointed out, "Walking 10 minutes a day is less than half of the AHA's recommended time." The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

Among the 2,965 stroke cases, 90% were so-called ischemic strokes. This is a necrosis of brain tissue caused by arteries being blocked, preventing sufficient blood and oxygen supply to the brain.

The average daily sedentary time of the participants was found to be 4.08 hours. Those aged 60 and under spent less than 3.9 hours, those aged 61 to 79 spent 4.4 hours, and those aged 80 and above spent 4.3 hours.

Among adults aged 60 and over who had low physical activity and spent more than 8 hours in sedentary leisure activities, the risk of suffering from stroke was 4.2 times higher than those who spent only 4 hours.

The group that moved the least, in other words, those with little physical activity and who spent more than 8 hours a day in sedentary leisure activities, had a risk of stroke 7 times higher than those who had some physical activity and spent about 4 hours in sedentary leisure activities.

Dr. Jundi advised, "Young adults should increase their physical activity, reduce the time spent sitting, and emphasize healthy lifestyle habits. This is the way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.