How Many Daily Hours Watching TV Will Raise Your Heart Risk?

Scientists have found that spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen dramatically increases the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets.

Study data show that people who devote more than 4 hours each day on screen-based entertainment like watching TV, using the computer or playing video games, are more than twice as likely to have a major cardiac event that involves hospitalization, death or both compared to those who spend less than 2 hours a day.

The research also suggests metabolic factors and inflammation may partly explain the link between prolonged sitting and the risks to heart health.