Limiting TV time lowers heart disease risk in UK

A new study from the UK Biobank suggests that watching less television can lower the risk of heart disease, even for people at high genetic risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that individuals who limited their TV time to one hour or less each day had a lower chance of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In the study, which included over 346,000 White British participants with an average age of 56.5 years, researchers split them into two groups based on their TV viewing habits. The groups were those who watched TV for one hour or less a day, and those who watched for two hours or more. The participants' genetic risk for type 2 diabetes was also assessed using 138 genetic markers. The results showed that individuals watching two or more hours of television each day had a 12% higher risk of developing ASCVD compared to those watching one hour or less. Notably, people with a medium or high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes did not see an increase in ASCVD risk if they limited their TV time. When looking at the 10-year risk for ASCVD, those with a high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes who watched less TV had a lower risk (2.13%) than individuals with a low genetic risk who watched more TV (2.46%). The study highlights the importance of lifestyle changes in reducing heart disease risk. The researchers noted that while their findings are significant, there are limitations. The data on TV viewing time was self-reported, which could lead to inaccuracies. Additionally, the study's focus on a specific population might limit how well the results apply to other groups. The study has implications for future research and strategies focused on heart health for people at high genetic risk of diabetes.