Too Much TV Is Bad News for Your Lungs?

By Editorial Staff

You've probably heard that too much time spent watching television can contribute to obesity, and that too much time spent anywhere without moving (for example, on a plane) can elevate the risk of a blot clot – but what about too much television time leading to a potentially fatal blot clot in the lungs? That's the suggestion emerging from a recent study that tracked 85,000 adults (ages 40-79) for 19 years to determine how overall daily television time influenced the development of a pulmonary embolism.

According to study findings, adults who reported watching five or more hours of TV a day were 2.5 times more likely to die of a clot compared to adults who reporting watching two-and-a-half hours or less of television daily.

The study authors suggest several ways to reduce the risk of a blood clot, one of which sounds distinctly healthier than the other: Get up from the couch periodically to stretch your legs / body; or reduce the amount of time you spend watching TV, which presumably will give you more time to spend in more active, blood-clot-inhibiting pursuits. We'll go with the latter and encourage you to watch less TV and use the time for health-promoting physical activity. Talk to your doctor for more information about the danger of pulmonary embolism and other ways to reduce your risk.