Researchers warn of health risks associated with binge watching TV

Shawn Knight

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Binge watching your favorite TV shows on Netflix has become a cultural phenomenon in many parts of the world but according to one study, it could be fatal.

Researchers in Japan studied the TV viewing habits of 86,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 from 1988 through 1990. The participants were then monitored over the next 19 years and what the researchers found was alarming.

Every additional two hours of TV watched per day increased the odds of developing a fatal pulmonary embolism by 40 percent.

A pulmonary embolism typically begins with a blood clot in the body that eventually moves to the lungs. It’s often associated with leading a sedentary lifestyle which, for most people, binge watching TV certainly contributes to.

In the study, 59 participants died from pulmonary embolisms.

Of course, watching television wasn’t the only factor that those who perished had in common as being obese was second on the list.

Professor Hiroyasu Iso, the lead researcher from Osaka University, said pulmonary embolisms occurs at a lower rate in Japan than they do in Western countries but it may be on the rise, adding that Japanese people are increasingly adopting sedentary lifestyles which they believe is putting them at risk.

Professor Iso urges binge watchers to stand up, stretch or walk around every hour or so. At the very least, one should tense and relax their leg muscles each hour for five minutes as they Netflix and chill.

Image courtesy txking, Shutterstock

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Dr. Cranky says, the danger of pulmonary embolism can be mitigated, (actually drastically reduced), with dietary changes, and prescription medications.

First, (and this should be no problem for a true couch potato; stay away from leafy green vegetables. They have too much Vitamin K, a severe blood clotting agonist.

Second, avoid taking vitamin supplements which contain iron, which is another agent that enhances rapid blood clotting.

Third, get with your doctor and determine if an anti-coagulant medication would be right for you. Sodium Warfarin is the most prevalent, but if you have more money than brains, you could always give one of the new designer, "blood thinners" a go. "Eloquis" immediately springs to mind. (I've been inundated with TV advertising for it).

There are several articles with similar text on Wiki, but "prothrombin time" or "INR" are the names of the tests used to determine the speed at which you blood begins to form clots. With a longer time in seconds, being better for those who don't move around much.

Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prothrombin_time
 
Dr. Cranky says...First, (and this should be no problem for a true couch potato; stay away from leafy green vegetables. They have too much Vitamin K, a severe blood clotting agonist.

Second, avoid taking vitamin supplements which contain iron, which is another agent that enhances rapid blood clotting.

r u fcking kidding...avoiding vegetable you'll just increase clotting you blood with meat fat.

#goVEGAN
 
r u fcking kidding...avoiding vegetable you'll just increase clotting you blood with meat fat.

#goVEGAN
Well, I have an artificial heart valve, and I very much doubt that you do. As a result. I've been on anti-coagulants for 23+ years, and I'm aware of the dietary restrictions involved with their use. And anti-coagulants will very much help to prevent deep vein thrombosis

And you well, you can't even spell "u" yet. :D

So, as much as I'd enjoy sparring with another numbskull Facebook reject who types in text-speak, I think I'm gonna pass. The average cantaloupe would likely offer a more stimulating conversation.

And by the way, statins along with diet and exercise, will put your blood lipid levels right on the mark, without any bullsh!t cheering for vegetables. GO SCIENCE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statin

Oh wait, don't go, you were about to explain to me how dying almost instantly of a massive heart attack or stroke, was preferable to living on for decades, and maybe needing a bypass or a stent in your 50's, 60's, or 70's...:p
 
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But there are other dangers to Netflix and chilling.
Males on top of daughters when a Dad walks in could end up with a black eye, or worse. You could fall off the back of the couch.
Kama Sutra positions should be handled with care.
The remote could disappear and not down the side of the cushions, but where the sun doesn't shine, and nurses would rather not wish to retrieve an object.
Coffee tables and other objects provide more hazards.
You need to be careful, maybe baby-proof or Netflix proof the immediate area 1st.

And remember the definition of irony, is conceiving on a pullout couch
 
But what about porn? Binge watching that can lead to all kinds of physical activity and no amount of meat fat is going to clog THAT blood vessel! LOL
 
Life is fatal, get used to it then there won't be so much angst later on
 
...[ ]...The remote could disappear and not down the side of the cushions, but where the sun doesn't shine, and nurses would rather not wish to retrieve an object....[ ]...
I think you need to find some different "playmates", or tape long strings on all the remote controls in the house.
 
As it turns out, I wasn't finished with you yet
r u fcking kidding...avoiding vegetable you'll just increase clotting you blood with meat fat.

#goVEGAN
This is David Bloom:
040315_embeds_bloom_bcol_8a-grid-6x2.jpg

As it turns out, Mr. Bloom died of deep vein thrombosis while/from sitting on his backside in a truck, reporting the news during the second Iraq war. He was 39. Taking anti-coagulants would have most likely, saved his life.

And remember, since you like vegetables so much, if you have a stroke, you might turn into one....(y)

Dear God, that would be poetic justice on an epic scale.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bloom
 
And how is this different to sitting at a computer all day for work and entertainment?

Oh, it's not as terrible.
 
And how is this different to sitting at a computer all day for work and entertainment?

Oh, it's not as terrible.
In actuality, likely half of the population should likely be on anti-coagulants, due to their sedentary nature. While deep vein thrombosis isn't terribly common, many, many people, live and work in the likely environments where it could happen.

Not everybody creates the "perfect storm" for blood clots. But, a little too much iron, to much spinach, and long languorous spells in front of the TV, or at work, could make it happen.

I exploded my left quad playing tennis. You would not believe how much I bled internally from the injury. My right leg was twice the size of the left. When I got to my doctor's, she told me, "thank god you're on Coumadin, (Warfarin), or a blood clot from this leg might have killed you")
 
I exploded my left quad playing tennis. You would not believe how much I bled internally from the injury. My right leg was twice the size of the left. When I got to my doctor's, she told me, "thank god you're on Coumadin, (Warfarin), or a blood clot from this leg might have killed you")
Meanwhile, I cut a vein in my finger and it refused to clot, bleeding for over 15 hours. Turns out I had also cut (or it was) a sensory nerve, so I went through a process of regrowing the nerve, which was quite weird (extremely heightened sense of touch; is now relatively back to normal.. which honestly sucks!). Still a bit of pain when I put pressure on where it was cut, along with a scar, 2 months later.

I mean sure, it's mostly in the lower body the clotting issues happen from being sedentary, but still, I appear to have issues with NOT clotting well, and all I do is sit in front of my computer 24/7.

Also kinda related, attempting to be healthy while taking a bunch of supplements can cause issues. Calcium deposits for instance. Can break off and head to the brain, causing a stroke. Happened to one of my father's customers who was all about living healthy. Decided to start exercising and bam.

Living is hard.
 
Meanwhile, I cut a vein in my finger and it refused to clot, bleeding for over 15 hours. Turns out I had also cut (or it was) a sensory nerve, so I went through a process of regrowing the nerve, which was quite weird (extremely heightened sense of touch; is now relatively back to normal.. which honestly sucks!). Still a bit of pain when I put pressure on where it was cut, along with a scar, 2 months later.

I mean sure, it's mostly in the lower body the clotting issues happen from being sedentary, but still, I appear to have issues with NOT clotting well, and all I do is sit in front of my computer 24/7.
In your case, it would be worthwhile to have a full blood panel, with INR and PT done. With a finger there's several reasons, why clotting might be delayed, motion, pressure, and flexing. OTOH, you might be descended from British royalty, and you know what that means...:eek:

But no, injuries don't heal as quickly as we imagine, since a lot of the healing times goes unnoticed, due to the fact those cuts, bumps, and bruises are in non critical locations. The bad news is, it gets worse as you age

Also kinda related, attempting to be healthy while taking a bunch of supplements can cause issues. Calcium deposits for instance. Can break off and head to the brain, causing a stroke. Happened to one of my father's customers who was all about living healthy. Decided to start exercising and bam.

(*) Living is hard.
There's a lot of that going around. I decided to quit smoking and get in shape in my early 40's. Couldn't quite figure out why the next time I worked out, I always had pain in my chest until I warmed up. As it turns out, my aortic valve was ruined from a childhood bout with strep throat.

(*)
I think, "life sucks, and then you die", is a bit more poetic, but makes the same point
 
Humbly offer: "Life sucks, but what's the alternative?"

strokes are over-rated, I've apparently ignored four.. <ducks>
 
Humbly offer: "Life sucks, but what's the alternative?"
Giving most of your paycheck to the Holy Roman Catholic Church, to pay for living forever? (Er, sort of).

Answer two, "nobody knows", despite what Jimmy Swaggart might tell you.
 
You could also take low dose aspirin and moderate amounts of fish oil.

Unless you've been diagnosed as having a severe clotting problem that's probably adequate and safer for the bulk of the population.
 
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