Individuals who watch more than five hours of TV per day are nearly 50% more at risk of developing dementia compared to those who watch less television, a new study has highlighted.
Researchers from Tianjin Medical University in China also found that those who watch more than five hours of TV per day are at higher risk of having a stroke and developing Parkinson’s disease.
Watching up to three hours of TV a day is associated with the best brain health, the study has reported.
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During the study, the team of researchers examined the health data of 407,000 adults from the UK Biobank project.
At the start of the trial, none of the participants had a diagnosed brain disorder. However, after 13 years roughly 5,000 were diagnosed with dementia, 2,000 with Parkinson’s and 6,000 went on to have a stroke.
The researchers have revealed that watching more than five hours of TV per day was associated with a 44% higher risk of dementia, a 12% increased risk of having stroke and a 28% greater risk of Parkinson’s.
In addition, the results have shown that watching three to five hours of TV per day increases an individual’s risk of developing dementia by 15%.
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The participants who watched more than five hours of TV per day often had less grey matter and smaller memory centres, the researchers have said.
Experts believe that being inactive can trigger chronic inflammation and reduced blood flow to the brain.
Professor James Rowe commented: “A couple of hours did not increase the risk. So, enjoy your favourite TV, then go and do something else.”
According to the findings, excessive computer use was not associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.
