Watching TV could increase risk of dying from lethal blood clots by 70 per cent

WATCHING too much TV increases the risk of dying from a blood clot on the lung by almost 70 per cent, a study has found.

Experts have found people spending too much time on tablets and laptop can also increase the risk of being affected by blood clots. 

Anyone planning to spend a day watching a box set should take precautions should be getting up and walking around for five minutes every hours and drink enough water. 

A lung blood clot — known medically as a pulmonary embolism — usually begins as a clot in the leg or pelvis as a result of inactivity and slowed blood flow and can cause death or stroke. 

If the clot breaks free, it can travel to the lung and become lodged in a small blood vessel, where medics say it is particularly dangerous.

Researchers have questioned 86,024 people aged between 40-79 in Japan between 1988 and 1990 about their watching habits.

Over the next 19 years, 59 died of a pulmonary embolism, according to the study published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

Compared to participants who watched TV less than 2.5 hours each day, deaths from a pulmonary embolism increased by 70 percent among those who watched TV from 2.5 to 4.9 hours.

For every additional two hours of additional watching it increased by another 40 per cent with the 2.5 times increase in the chances of a clot among those who watched TV 5 or more hours.

Dr Hiroyasu Iso, M.D., Ph.D., professor of public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, said: "Pulmonary embolism occurs at a lower rate in Japan than it does in Western countries, but it may be on the rise.

"The Japanese people are increasingly adopting sedentary lifestyles, which we believe is putting them at increased risk."

The authors suggested that risk is likely to be greater than the findings suggest.

Deaths from pulmonary embolism are believed to be underreported because diagnosis is difficult.

The most common symptoms of pulmonary embolism — chest pain and shortness of breath — are the same as other life-threatening conditions, and diagnosis requires imaging that many hospitals are not equipped to provide.

Researchers accounted for several factors that might have influenced findings, including obesity, diabetes, cigarette smoking and hypertension. 

After the number of hours spent watching TV, obesity appeared to have the next strongest link to pulmonary embolism.

Dr Toru Shirakawa, the lead author and a research fellow in public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, said the findings may be particularly relevant people in the west because studies suggest they watch more tell than the Japanese.

Dr Shirakawa said: ”Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term 'binge-watching' to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programs in one sitting has become popular. This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit."

Authors said people who watch a lot of TV can take several easy steps to reduce their risk of developing blood clots in their legs that may then move to their lungs.

He added that drinking water may also help and, in the long run, shedding pounds if overweight is likely to reduce risk.

The study recorded participants' viewing habits before computers, tablets and smartphones became popular sources of information and entertainment.