R&I – FS
Binge-watching your favorite series isn’t so good for your circulation, a new review of the research suggests. The study found that people who regularly watched TV four or more hours a day were more likely to develop a blood clotting condition that can lead to serious health problems and even death. What’s more, this increased risk was seen independently of other important factors like a person’s level of physical activity.
The condition is known as venous thromboembolism, or VTE, and is caused by blood clots that form in our veins. The most common form of VTE is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is when these clots get stuck in the deepest veins of our body, usually along our legs or pelvis but sometimes in our arms.
DVT clots can cause acute swelling and pain when they happen, though many people may not experience any symptoms. These blockages can then damage the valves in our veins, especially if not treated early, leading to long-term complications like chronic pain, swelling, and ulcers. And the clots can also get dislodged from their original site and clog up the arteries of our lungs, where they can cause a life-threatening condition called pulmonary embolism. It’s estimated that close to a million people in the U.S. may develop DVT every year, and that up to 100,000 Americans die annually from the combination of DVT and pulmonary embolism.
Common risk factors for VTE include age, injury to the veins, and existing health conditions like heart disease. But it’s also known that simply being in one place for too long can increase that risk, too, which is often seen when people are confined to a hospital bed from severe illness. So it’s not exactly a surprise that some researchers have wondered whether long sessions in front of the TV could also be a potential contributor to VTE.
PragDem