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Boxset bingewatching could leave you with blood clots, says new study

Each two hours of inactivity in front of the TV sharply raises the risk of a fatal pulmonary embolism by 40%

BINGEING ON TV boxsets sharply increases the risk of dying from a blood clot in the lungs, according to a major new study.

Hours of inactivity slumped in front of a television sharply drastically raises the risk of a fatal pulmonary embolism. Each additional two hours of viewing per day raised the risk by 40%.

Researchers said those who planned long sessions watching television should take the same precautions as those embarking on long-haul flights.

The study, which analysed the TV viewing habits of more than 86,000 people aged 40 to 79 between 1988 and 1990, was reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

It also examined factors which influenced the result, including obesity, diabetes, smoking, and high blood pressure.

A five-minute walk

After watching TV for hours at a time, obesity appeared to have the strongest link to pulmonary embolism, said the scientists, from the graduate school of medicine at Osaka University.

The researchers recommended a five-minute walk every hour.

shutterstock_148158335 Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul starred in the hit boxset drama Breaking Bad. Shutterstock Shutterstock

The Japanese team found that people who watched five or more hours of programmes daily were more than twice as likely to die over the following 19 years than those who watched less than two and a half hours.

They said recent trends – such as “binge-watching” box sets via online streaming, and reliance on laptops and tablets – could put increased numbers at risk.

Pulmonary embolism is closely linked to sedentary lifestyle, and while it starts off as a clot in the leg or pelvis, it can affect the lungs.

An untreated pulmonary embolism is fatal for over a quarter of people.

Dr Toru Shirakawa, one of the researchers, warned against lengthy TV sessions that might involve back-to-back episodes of a favourite series.

Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term ‘binge-watching’ to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programmes in one sitting has become popular.

“This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit.”

Similar to long-haul flights

It was possible to watch a lot of TV while taking simple precautions to avoid blood clots similar to those recommended for air travellers on long-haul flights, said the researchers.

Lead researcher Prof Hiroyasu Iso advised a five-minute walk.

After an hour or so, stand up, stretch, walk around, or while you’re watching TV, tense and relax your leg muscles for five minutes.

He added that drinking water and losing weight may also help.

The study recorded viewing habits before computers, tablets and smartphones became popular sources of information and entertainment, said the scientists.

Overall, the risk of such deaths remains low, with just 59 deaths from the fatal clots out of 86,000 case.

The study said these cases were likely to be under-reported, as the condition can easily be missed.

The researchers added that more research is needed to assess the effect of these new technologies on pulmonary embolism risk.

Symptoms of the clots include chest pain and shortness of breath, so it can easily be mistaken for other conditions.

Read: There are 11,519 children waiting over a year to be seen in an Irish hospital

Read: Anti-viral drugs lower risk of catching HIV for couples having unprotected sex

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25 Comments
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:14 AM

    I’ll take my chances. How else am I supposed to relax after sitting in front of the computer at work all day?

    168
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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:38 AM

    We live in a poorly designed world

    39
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    Mute Bleep12345
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    Jul 26th 2016, 9:37 AM

    Redesign it for yourself and look after what’s important.

    23
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    Mute alphanautica
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:17 AM

    It’s even worse if you watch a whole season of Game Of Thrones on your iPad while sitting in the bog.

    The pins n needles could break your ankle afterwards.

    102
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:20 AM

    No better place to watch that show than on your own throne

    90
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    Mute Rothar Man
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:24 AM

    We all die in the end………..or so the latest studies show.

    56
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 27th 2016, 12:02 AM

    I blame hard seats for that ;)

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    Mute ⚡ SCO Electrical ⚡
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:29 AM

    So each 2 hours increases your chances by 40%? I must be up at 362,729,200% so…. :(

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 27th 2016, 12:03 AM

    Should be fun after 5 hours then?

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    Mute Juju beans
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:58 AM

    Well no shirt Sherlock – if your watching 5 hours of tv a day your prob not going to have the coronary arteries of usain bloody bolt are you?! But I wonder does sitting on your a$$ watching tv also correlate with 8 hours at a desk & keyboard regarding risk of clot? Perhaps not – maybe it’s all got to do with the popcorn?!

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    Mute Nigel Sinnott
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:21 AM

    Hope they make a documentary about this, I’ll definitely watch it!

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    Mute garb yakob
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:51 PM

    12 times

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    Mute tommy macdonagh
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:38 AM

    id say being lazy has a lot to do with it too

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    Mute Angry Gaming
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:21 AM

    Funny you never see articles like this when you have to slave in a factory or sit in an office all day.

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    Mute Pat Walsh
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    Jul 26th 2016, 11:40 AM

    It’s interesting that the article (and maybe the study) focuses on the dangers of binge-watching TV series. Watching numerous episodes of a TV series continuously is the modern equivalent of reading chapter after chapter of a book in one sitting. Some people still do that & others watch movies one after the other. As many other commentators here point out, many more people sit at their desk all day at work. The fact that the study seems to focus on watching TV suggests that there may be some bias going on.

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    Mute Philip Walshe
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:14 AM

    Of course it’s bad for your health. Stuck in front of a TV or computer for hours on end. Get up off your backside and get some exercise and stop filling your face full of crap foods high in fat and sugar!! The exception being if you’re working!!

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    Mute Etherman
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    Jul 26th 2016, 9:31 AM

    Whereas an evening or two watching boxes is great for the old heart and lungs and develops great arm strength too. Ps, remember to alternate.

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    Mute Daniel Murray
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    Jul 26th 2016, 12:20 PM

    You hashtagged it Netflix and chill but if that was the case there definitely wouldn’t be any blood clots

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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:53 AM

    Kinkless blood pipes and non stick blood pipes ….

    Kinkless blood pipes
    Like the bend on a river the debris accumulates on the inner curve of the river because the water flows faster on the outer curve … so keep your joints straight and avoid those sharp curves kinks in your blood flow.

    Non-Stick blood pipes
    Like smooth stainless steel pipes in breweries and creameries eat plenty of walnuts for natural fat to line the inside of your blood pipes for smoothness and avoid stuff sticking to them and bits falling off to cause stroke and heart attacks. Never eat Trans fats which is an artificial industrial fat. Now banned in US from 2018 onwards. Americans eat 4.6 lbs of trans fats per annum. No figures for Ireland.

    Avoiding Trans Fats can completely reverse Diabetes Type2. Trans fats may also be root cause of Alzheimers. Recent research papers support this hypothesis. (causes wrong cut of Amyloid protein in the brain cells, resulting in accumulation of toaic plaque killing adjacent brain cells leading to loss of brain function.

    No money in prevention …only in illness.

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Jul 26th 2016, 1:29 PM

    I`m just about to watch the last episode all in a row of season 6 of Game of ThroArrrrrggghhhh!

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    Mute garb yakob
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    Jul 26th 2016, 10:53 PM

    They all die in the end ;p so realistic, except they do it on their feet being active

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    Mute Sam
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    Jul 26th 2016, 1:52 PM

    Surely if you’re gonna “Netflix and Chill” then plenty of cardio will be had!

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    Mute Max
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    Jul 26th 2016, 9:11 AM

    Watch all the box sets you like……. http://Www.JarvisBox.Com

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Jul 26th 2016, 12:50 PM

    Scaremongering.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 27th 2016, 12:04 AM

    At least there is pornhub?

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    Mute Adrian Moore
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    Jul 26th 2016, 8:14 AM

    Well…..that’s just great….

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