Spending hours in front of the TV can be fatal according to scientists. Researchers have found binge viewing raises the risk of dying from a blood clot in the lungs. A Japanese team examined the viewing habits of over 86,000 people aged between 40-79 between the years of 1988-1990. The team found every additional two hours watching TV per day raised the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism by 40%.
People watching over 5 hours of TV daily were twice as likely to die than those who watch less than 2.5 hours. During the follow-up period lasting 19 years, a total of 59 deaths pulmonary embolism were recorded.
Pulmonary embolism is a dangerous condition, linked to inactivity and slowed blood flow. It usually begins with deep vein thromboses, a clot, in the leg or pelvis that breaks free and gets logged in the small blood vessel of the lungs. More than a quarter of people with an untreated pulmonary embolism die which can be sudden.
Precautions taken can be to stand up, stretch, walk around or while you’re watching TV, tense and relax your muscles for five minutes according to Professor Hrioyasu Iso of Osaka University, the lead researcher of the study.
