More than two hours a day in front of a screen increases the probability of high blood pressure by 30% for children, according to a new study on European children. Also, reasearchers point out that doing no daily physical activity or doing less than an hour a day increases this risk by 50%.
The scientists from the Universities of Zaragoza (Spain) and São Paulo (Brazil) state that children who are sedentary for more than two hours a day, in front of the television, computers or video-consoles, run a 30% greater risk of developing high blood pressure, the cause of cardiovascular problems later in life. Also, different studies have demonstrated that the levels of arterial pressure in infancy and adolescence have an enormous impact on developing high blood pressure as an adult.
Published recently in the International Journal of Cardiology, the results show that the cumulative incidence of high blood pressure in children during the two years analysed is high: 110 in 1,000.
“High blood pressure can cause cardiovascular problems later in life. For example, it increases the risk of ischemic heart disease,” explains Augusto César F. de Moraes, a Brazilian researcher and lead author of the study.
To change that, experts recommend that young people should carry out physical activity for more than 60 minutes a day. They also suggest that sedentary activities last no longer than two hours a day.
“Scientific evidence indicates that physical activity is a powerful vasodilator. Therefore, the rate of oxygenation of the heart increases, and at the same time, decreases arterial pressure,” adds F. de Moraes.
The findings revealed the relationship between watching TV and a greater risk of developing high blood pressure after years of scientific literature that associated the habit with a sedentary lifestyle and obesity in young people. This conclusion was based on data gathered over two years in 5,221 children from eight European countries (Spain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Cyprus, Estonia, Sweden and Belgium), who were between 2 and 10 years old at the beginning of the study.