Scientists have determined how much television can be watched without harm to the heart

Scientists from the University of Hong Kong have determined that to protect against heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis, one should limit television viewing time to one hour per day. The research results were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).

Atherosclerosis occurs due to the formation of fatty "plaques" on the walls of arteries. Narrowing of the blood vessel lumen and detachment of such a plaque can trigger heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Type 2 diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are the main risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. People spend especially long periods in a sitting position in front of television screens.

To determine how long one can watch television without harming health, scientists conducted a study involving 346,916 British adults with varying genetic predispositions to type 2 diabetes. For each volunteer, a polygenic risk index for developing this disease was calculated based on 138 genetic variants.

The results showed that those who spent more than two hours a day in front of the television were 12% more likely to suffer from atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. This effect was observed regardless of the genetic risk of developing diabetes.

It was also found that participants predisposed to diabetes did not have an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis if they watched television for no more than one hour a day.

According to scientists, reducing sitting time serves as an important tool for improving public health. Such a beneficial habit can neutralize the influence of "bad genetics".