If you think that high blood pressure affects only adults, then you haven't read the new study, which states even children are at risk of it. One of the culprits is in your home: TV.
In a research conducted by the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, led by Dr. Augusto Cesar de Moraes, children between the ages of 2 and 10 have a higher chance of suffering from childhood high blood pressure due to watching television for more than 2 hours a day. The risk is about 30%, but it can go as high as 50% if the kids live a sedentary lifestyle.
Although there's no exact definition of "childhood blood pressure," it is considered as such if the measurement is significantly higher than 95% of children with the same age, weight, and height.
These figures were based on an analysis of sedentary activity of more than 5,000 children in over 5 countries in Europe.
For about 2 years now, the number of cases of children with high blood pressure has gone up to 110 cases for every 1,000.
For the researchers, this condition is worrisome since these children may eventually develop cardiovascular disease way earlier than the adults today.
Based on the data of Kaiser Family Foundation, which can also be accessed in Kids Health, more than 60% of toddlers and infants spend around 2 hours per day in front of the TV or the computer screen.
The number of hours seems to increase once the children have reached 4 years old. By then, their watching time doubles to 4 hours. If they are already in school, the screen time can include 2 hours more due to school work or video games.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends only 2 hours or less of TV and movie watching for children over 2 years old. Kids who fall below that age should never have access to television.
