Binge-watching TV can significantly increase risk of blood clot in middle-age, study suggests

Researchers warn that long periods of TV watching should be interspersed with stretching and movement, Thomas Kingsley reports

Adults who watch TV for prolonged periods are over a third more likely to develop blood clots than others (Getty/iStock)

A new study has found that binge-watching TV can increase the risk of blood-clot by 35 per cent in adults spending four or more hours in front of the TV compared to adults watching for less than two and a half hours.

Researchers from the University of Bristol found that prolonged TV viewing involving extensive sitting can lead to clots developing in the lungs and legs. Lead researcher Dr. Setor Kunutsor, a senior lecturer at the university’s medical school said people need to take breaks to stretch and walk in between long periods of watching TV.

Scientists have known for years that prolonged sitting can increase the risk of blood clots, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), which kills an estimated 25,000 people in England every year.