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Are you watching TV for long hours? Then, you may be prone to fatal lung condition. Researchers have revealed that watching TV for five or more hours each day could lead to blockage of one key pulmonary artery in your lungs. Eventually, it leads to pulmonary embolism, a fatal lung condition.

Study on prolonged television watchers

An 18-year long study conducted in more than 86,000 people has revealed that prolonged television watchers have a high risk of fatal pulmonary embolism. The length of television watching is categorized into three groups in the study i.e. more or equal to five hours daily, less than 2.5 hours, 2.5 to 4.9 hours. A total of 59 deaths due to pulmonary embolism were reported during the follow-up period.

Also read: Do You Work More Than 8 Hours A Day? Heart Stroke Guaranteed!

Study researchers have found that there is twice the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism in people who watch TV more than five hours a day, compared to those who watch less than 2 and half hours daily.

Public health research fellow at Osaka University in Japan, Toru Shirakawa, said that, “The association between prolonged sitting and pulmonary embolism was first reported among air raid shelter users in London during World War II.”

“We found that prolonged television viewing may be a risky behaviour for death from pulmonary embolism,” Shirakawa added.

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is fatal condition associated with long-haul flights. During viewing the television, leg immobility may partly explain the finding of risk of the syndrome. Scientists suggest taking breaks, standing up and walking around for a while rather than sitting continuously while watching the TV to avoid the occurrence of pulmonary embolism. Drinking a lot of water was also suggested to avoid dehydration.

The study also found the association between prolonged computer usage with the death from pulmonary embolism. The findings were presented at the ESC Congress, the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), in London.

-Sumana