People who spend more than four hours a day in front of a screen face a massively increased risk of suffering a life-threatening heart attack, British researchers warned last night.
The new study suggests that lengthy sessions of computer work, game playing or television watching can cause major long-term problems to health.
Researchers said undertaking regular exercise was not enough to counteract the effects of prolonged physical idleness.
The findings, reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, come from a study of some 4,500 people in Scotland over a four year period.
They show that as well as the risk of heart attack, extensive inactivity on a daily basis increased the risk of dying from any cause by nearly 50 per cent.
Researcher Dr Emmanuel Stamatakis, of University College, London, UK, called for urgent consideration of how 21st century lifestyles could be adjusted to make them less sedentary.
He said: "People who spend excessive amounts of time in front of a screen – primarily watching TV – are more likely to die of any cause and suffer heart-related problems.
"Our analysis suggests that two or more hours of screen time each day may place someone at greater risk for a cardiac event."
He added: "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."
Journal of the American College of Cardiology January 18 2010
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