TV Time and Heart Disease Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Wijndaele Katrien, Brage Søren, Besson Hervé, Khaw Kay-Tee, Sharp Stephen J., Luben Robert, Bhaniani Amit, Wareham Nicholas J., Ekelund Ulf
Primary Institution: Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Hypothesis
Is television viewing time associated with incident cardiovascular disease, independent of physical activity and other factors?
Conclusion
Increased television viewing time is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Every hour/day increase in TV viewing was associated with a 6% higher hazard for total CVD.
- Participants who developed CVD watched TV for half an hour more per day than those who did not.
- Associations remained significant after adjusting for physical activity and other confounders.
Takeaway
Watching more TV can make your heart sick, even if you exercise.
Methodology
A cohort study followed 12,608 participants over approximately 7 years, assessing their TV viewing habits and health outcomes.
Potential Biases
Potential residual confounding from unmeasured sedentary behaviors.
Limitations
Self-reported TV viewing time may lead to measurement errors, and the study only included healthy participants at baseline.
Participant Demographics
Healthy middle-aged white adults, aged 61.4±9.0 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
1.03–1.08
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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