Screen time and heart disease
TV or not TV (or more aptly, "to screen or not to screen"), that is the question. Americans average more than seven hours a day of screen time on internet-connected devices, and TV time varies between less than two hours a day for teens and over four hours daily for seniors. But wherever you focus your attention, too much sitting around looking at screens is damaging your health.
Two studies bring that into focus. The first, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that folks with a familial risk for Type 2 diabetes are able to avoid their increased risk of cardiovascular disease if they limit their viewing time to an hour a day or less. And whether that risk for diabetes-related heart disease is genetic or comes from lifestyle choices, spending two-plus hours daily watching TV ups the already-major risk of heart disease by an added 12%. Around 100 million Americans are pre-diabetic, so excessive screen time is risky for almost a third of the population!
The second study in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that an hour's screen use after going to bed increases your risk of insomnia by almost 60%. Chronic insomnia is related to an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, depression, dementia, heart attack, and stroke.
Click! That's the sound of you turning off the screen -- and understanding just how good for you that is. For more help reducing your risk for diabetes and heart disease, check out the book "YOU: The Owner's Manual, revised edition."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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