Why that TV box set could be deadly

WORKING your way through a TV box-set for several hours may be your ideal evening, but it’s a pastime that could prove deadly.

As we shun broadcast TV in favour of DVD compilations or internet streaming services we can watch whenever we want many of us ‘binge’ on episodes one after the other.

But researchers found adults who spend at least five hours or more a day slumped in front of the television are two-and-a-half times more likely to die from a blood clot in the lungs.

Japanese scientists say those most at risk were those who watched multiple episodes of a series in one sitting. They urge anyone who enjoys bingeing on American dramas such as Game Of Thrones or House Of Cards to pause the TV every hour and stretch their legs.

The team of academics from Osaka University studied 86,024 men and women over 19 years on how much television they watched a day. In that period, 56 died from pulmonary embolism – a blood clot that develops after long periods of inactivity. Those who watched five or more hours of TV were 2.5 times more likely to have died from the condition. Those who watched between two-and-a-half hours and five hours were 70 per cent more at risk.

Dr Toru Shirakawa, lead researcher and an expert in public health at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, said: ‘Nowadays, with online video streaming, the term “bingewatching” to describe viewing multiple episodes of television programs in one sitting has become popular. This popularity may reflect a rapidly growing habit.’

Around 2,300 Britons die from pulmonary embolisms in the UK each year and they are often linked to an extended stay in hospital or long plane journeys. They occur when a blood clot develops in the leg due to inactivity and travels to the main artery linking the heart and the lungs, preventing blood getting through. Symptoms include a sudden sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or coughing.

The researchers said pausing the TV every now and then and walking round the room could massively reduce the risk. Dr Hiroyasu Iso, who helped lead the study, said: ‘After an hour or so, stand up, stretch, walk around, or while you’re watching TV, tense and relax your leg muscles.’ This is similar to the advice for passengers on long-haul plane journeys who are urged to stroll along the aisle.

While the research is based on TV habits several years before Netflix and DVD box-sets were common, the researchers believe those who watched too much when younger continue the habit and move on to newer technology.