Watching too much television or playing computer games damages your heart regardless of how much exercise you do, scientists have warned.
In fact it’s not just the risk of heart disease, but premature death from any cause doubled for those spending more than fours hours a day glued to a screen, it was claimed in a report by Dr Emmanuel Stamatakis of University College London’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
The study, the first to examine the association between screen time and fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, found there was a 48 per cent increased risk of all-cause mortality and an approximately 125% increase in risk of cardiovascular events in those spending more than four hours
Dr Stamatakis said: “It is all a matter of habit. Many of us have learned to go back home, turn the TV set on and sit down for several hours it’s convenient and easy to do.
“But doing so is bad for the heart and our health in general.
“And according to what we know so far, these health risks may not be mitigated by exercise, a finding that underscores the urgent need for public health recommendations to include guidelines for limiting recreational sitting and other sedentary behaviours, in addition to improving physical activity.”