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Screen-based entertainment associated with higher rates of CVD, death

Stamatakis E. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57:292-299.

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An increased risk for mortality and CVD are associated with time spent participating in screen-based entertainment activities, regardless of physical activity, researchers of a Scottish health survey reported, adding that metabolic and inflammatory risk factors may partly explain this link.

Data collected from 4,512 Scottish Health Survey 2003 respondents (1,945 men) aged 35 years or older were studied for all-cause mortality and any CVD events. Researchers assessed time spent in front of a screen for nonwork-related activity. Screen time increments were classified as fewer than 2 hours per day; at least 2 hours per day but fewer than 4 hours per day; at least 4 hours per day. During the 19,364 follow-up person-years, 325 any-cause deaths and 215 CVD events occurred.

The adjusted covariable HR was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.06-2.16) for all-cause mortality and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.33-3.96) for CVD events for respondents who spent at least 4 hours per day of screen time relative to fewer than 2 hours per day.

The main confounding variable measured was time spent engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity at work or during leisure time. Researchers found this variable to have little effect on HRs (all-cause mortality: HR=1.48%; 95% CI, 1.04-2.13; CVD events: HR=2.25; 95% CI, 1.30-3.89).

Analyses of the non-fasting blood samples collected from participants showed nearly one-fourth of the relationship between screen time and CVD events was collectively mediated by CRP, BMI and HDL cholesterol.

“Compared with those spending <2 h/day on screen-based entertainment, there was a 48% increased risk of all-cause mortality in those spending ≥4 h/day and an approximately 125% increase in risk of CVD events in those spending ≥2 h/day,” the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that there is an independent, deleterious relationship of screen-based recreational sitting time with CVD events and all-cause mortality.”

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