South Asian face a significantly higher risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease, often at younger ages compared to Western population.
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The study is the first to explore how such evolving lifestyle habits can impact heart health particularly in South Asia. It is also among the early studies to highlight screen time as an independent and emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Are you spending excessive time browsing your mobile phone or tablet? According to a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session ACC.26, individuals spending 6 or more hours on screens outside of school or work displayed worse blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI) when compared with those with more limited screen time. 1
It is worth noting, the connection between screen time and these cardiovascular risk factors remained even after considering the differences in physical activity. Researchers indicated that higher engagement in activities such as video gaming, watching videos, and scrolling via social media may pose an emerging health concern among youngers. The findings indicate that monitoring screen habits could help clinicians identify early signs of elevated risk for heart disease.
“Traditionally, lifestyle counseling focuses mainly on encouraging exercise, but our findings suggest that reducing excessive screen exposure could be an additional and independent target for intervention,” said Zain Islam, MD, a cardiologist at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences and Taqi Medical Center in Hyderabad, Pakistan, and the study’s lead author. “This may lead to more nuanced counseling—not only promoting physical activity but also addressing digital behavior patterns, digital wellness and structured limits on prolonged screen use.”
As per the latest study, researchers had analysed the heart health markers and every day habits of nearly 382 adults who were approximately 35 years old, an average living in Hyderabad and Karachi.
According to the report, South Asian face a significantly higher risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease, often at younger ages compared to Western population. At the same time, countries like Pakistan and others in Asia are witnessing a surge in screen use among young adults driven by fast urbanization and rising dependence on digital technology at home and workplaces.
As per the researchers, the study is the first to explore how such evolving lifestyle habits can impact heart health particularly in South Asia. It is also among the early studies to highlight screen time as an independent and emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“What makes this study different is that we looked at screen time as a specific, measurable digital behavior rather than just broadly labeling people as sedentary,” Islam said. “While sedentary lifestyle has been studied before, fewer studies have separated screen exposure from general physical inactivity or examined how these two factors interact with each other.”
Based on questionnaires, researchers grouped participants according to their screen habits (more or less than six hours on screens outside of school or work per day) and physical activity levels (more or less than 150 minutes of exercise per week).
After adjusting for age, sex and baseline clinical characteristics, they found that people spending more than six hours a day on screens had, on average, about 18 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure, over 28 mg/dL higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and over 3.9 mg/dL lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared with those spending less than six hours on screens per day.
In addition, these participants had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio. Higher screen time was also associated with increased cigarette smoking and vaping, with over one-quarter of these participants reporting nicotine use compared with 12% among those with lower screen exposure, added the American College of Cardiology report. 1
Although these relationships were independent from physical activity levels, researchers also found a synergistic effect between screen use and exercise. High screen time and low physical activity together produced a greater adverse impact on blood pressure and BMI than either factor alone. “In other words, these behaviors don’t just add risk independently—they seem to amplify each other when they occur together,” Islam said.
Based on the findings, Islam said that clinicians should incorporate screen time alongside traditional lifestyle factors to assess patients’ cardiovascular risk and develop tailored interventions that promote both physical activity and healthier screen habits.
Meanwhile, you can include healthy foods and increase physical activities to boost the cardiovascular health.
1. Green Leafy Vegetables: It is significant to take adequate amount of green leafy vegetables for a sound and healthy heart. These may include spinach, kale, lettuce, collard greens, microgreens, etc. They are an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These vegetables contain crucial vitamin K that can save your arteries and boost effective blood clotting. They are also rich in dietary nitrates that may bring down blood pressure, decline arterial stiffness, and enhance cell functioning lining blood vessels. An American Heart Association (AHA) research links leafy green vegetable consumption to increased cardiovascular health benefits and a reduced risk of heart disease than other fruits and vegetables. 2
2. Berries: Consumption of berries such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries can boost your heart health like never before. Berries are a powerful source of antioxidants such as anthocyanins that can offer strong protection against oxidative stress and inflammation that may lead to surge in the risk of heart diseases. Increased intake of anthocyanin may decrease coronary artery disease risk that may include hypertension and heart attack.
3. Avocados: Avocados are rich source of monosaturated fats that may lead to declined cholesterol levels and bring down risk of heart diseases. Avocados may help in improving LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. As the fruits is an excellent source of potassium, it can help in reducing blood pressure.
4. Fatty fish: You should include fatty fish such as sardines, salmon to your diet as they contain Omega-3 fatty acid that offers benefits to your heart health. If you are unable to eat adequate amount of seafood, you may take fish oil for receiving your daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Walnuts: They have emerged a key source of fibre and other micronutrients such as copper and manganese. The dry fruit may reduce LDL (bad) and total cholesterol.
FAQs
How does spending over 6 hours daily on screens affect heart health in young adults?
Spending 6 or more hours daily on screens outside work or school is linked to higher systolic blood pressure (around 18 mmHg increase), elevated LDL cholesterol (over 28 mg/dL), lower HDL cholesterol (about 3.9 mg/dL less), and increased BMI and waist circumference, all of which indicate poorer cardiovascular health among young adults.
Is the risk from high screen time independent of physical activity levels?
Yes. The study found that the adverse effects of excessive screen time on blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI remain significant even after adjusting for physical activity, suggesting screen exposure is an independent cardiovascular risk factor alongside physical inactivity.
Can reducing screen time improve heart health outcomes compared to just increasing exercise?
According to researchers, reducing excessive screen exposure should be an additional target for lifestyle intervention, alongside promoting physical activity. The combination of high screen time and low exercise amplifies cardiovascular risks more than either factor alone, indicating that addressing both yields better heart health outcomes.
What are the implications of this study for clinicians assessing cardiovascular risk?
Clinicians are encouraged to incorporate detailed screen time assessments into cardiovascular risk evaluations. This enables tailored counseling that addresses digital behaviors alongside traditional factors, helping identify early risk in young adults, especially in South Asian populations prone to premature heart disease.
Which heart-healthy foods can support individuals aiming to offset risks from high screen time?
Including foods like green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale), berries (blueberries, strawberries), avocados, fatty fish (salmon, sardines), and walnuts can boost cardiovascular health. These foods provide antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals shown to reduce blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and inflammation related to heart disease.
American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session ACC.26|Excessive Screen Time Signals Health Risk for Young Adults
American Heart Association|The Goodness of Greens
Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.
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