Health

Too much TV can increase blood pressure in children

More than ever kids need to get moving.
Boy eats food on lounge, stock image

According to the study, published in the International Journal of Cardiology, children who sat glued to a screen for more than two hours a day had a 30% greater risk of developing high blood pressure.

The data came from a study of 5221 children aged between 2 and 10 from eight European countries who were monitored for two years.

The study shows the number of new high blood pressure cases and the connection between physical activity and different sedentary behaviours with the risk of high blood pressure in European children,” explains Augusto César F. de Moraes, a Brazilian researcher who collaborates with the Unizar group and lead author of the article, to SINC.

The lead author of the study, Augusto César F. de Moraes, said that the cumulative incidences of high blood pressure found in the children could lead to problems as the children grow up.

“High blood pressure can cause cardiovascular problems later in life,” said F. de Moraes. “For example, it increases the risk of ischemic heart disease.”

To counter this, researchers recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day and to limit sedentary activities. According to research that daily hour of physical exertion will increase oxygen to the heart and decrease arterial pressure. On the country doing less than an hour of physical exercise a day increases the high blood pressure risk by 50%.

As Michelle Obama says in her campaign to get kids healthier, let’s move. 

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