Spending hours glued to screens outside of work or school may do more than just strain your eyes—it could be quietly raising your blood pressure and packing on unwanted pounds, new research suggests.
The research, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in March, adds to evidence that digital habits may be an unrecognized culprit in cardiovascular risk and that doctors may need to start asking patients about their screen time alongside their diet and exercise routines.
More Than 6 Hours Increases Heart Risk
The study followed 382 adults with an average age of about 35 in urban areas of Pakistan, a setting where digital technology use is rapidly expanding alongside historically high rates of early heart disease. Researchers compared those who spent more than six hours daily on screens outside of work or school to those who used screens less.
High screen users had, on average, about 18 millimeters of mercury higher systolic blood pressure; more than 28 milligrams per deciliter higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is considered harmful; and nearly 4 milligrams per deciliter lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or so-called good cholesterol. They also had larger waist sizes and higher waist-to-height ratios.
If these differences in blood pressure and cholesterol are real and sustained over time, they would be considered clinically significant, Dr. Ian Gilchrist, an interventional cardiologist at Northwell Health Plainview Hospital in New York, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
Importantly, the associations remained even after considering other factors such as physical activity, age, sex, and initial health status, suggesting that screen time may carry an independent risk.
The mechanisms aren’t fully understood. However, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times that some of the observed heart health effects may be linked to nervous system stimulation from screen activities, such as video games and social media.
“I think there’s a huge emotional component to this,” she said. “Video games can really increase your adrenaline, which is going to increase blood pressure and stress.”
Stress hormones, Klodas added, can also make people less mindful of what they’re eating, an aspect the current study didn’t measure but that future research should explore.
However, since the study only observed associations and relied on self-reported screen use, it cannot prove that high screen time directly causes these health issues.
These findings aren’t strong enough to make digital habits a routine part of cardiovascular risk assessment as a formal risk factor, Dr. Barry R. Davis, a professor emeritus of biostatistics and data science at the University of Texas School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
“But asking about them as part of lifestyle history could make sense,” he said.
Screens Plus Inactivity Is a Compounding Problem
The study also found that combining heavy screen use with low physical activity made health risks worse. People who both spent a lot of time on screens and were physically inactive experienced even higher blood pressure and body mass index than those with just one of these behaviors.
There is insufficient focus in research on the amount of time people spend sitting, Klodas said.
“I think when we talk about exercise, we’re looking at how much people are doing,” she said. “We actually don’t look at the negative, which is how much … they’re sitting, and asking about their video or gaming or screen time hours can give a lot of insight into that.”
Researchers also noted that more than one-quarter of heavy screen users reported smoking or vaping, compared with just 12 percent of those with lower screen exposure, pointing to screen time as a potential marker for clusters of unhealthy behavior, not just a single risk factor.
What Doctors Are Saying
Lead author Dr. Zain Islam, a cardiologist, said the findings point toward a more nuanced counseling.
“Traditionally, lifestyle counseling focuses mainly on encouraging exercise,” he said in a statement. “Our findings suggest that reducing excessive screen exposure could be an additional and independent target for intervention.”
Such intervention could not only promote physical activity, but also address digital behavior patterns, digital wellness, and structured limits on prolonged screen use.
Islam told The Epoch Times that although the study was conducted in urban populations within Pakistan, the underlying behavioral patterns—increased digital engagement and sedentary lifestyles—are globally prevalent.
“Therefore, the findings are likely directionally applicable to other regions,” he said.
However, given the unique genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors in South Asian populations, Islam emphasized that “further validation in diverse cohorts is essential before generalizing the results universally.”
Klodas agreed that screens deserve more attention in the exam room. Heart disease and its main drivers—high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes—are largely lifestyle-related, she noted.
“Yes, there’s some genetics involved,” she said. “But a lifestyle has a huge, huge impact to make, and we often don’t ask enough—we just prescribe.”
All of these factors are intertwined, Klodas emphasized.
“Look, we were not designed for video games,” she said. “We were designed for real life, right? We were designed to be outside, not sitting glued to a screen.”
The researchers recommend larger studies with more precise tracking of digital habits and long-term follow-up to better understand these relationships and whether reducing screen time can improve health outcomes.
The key message, Islam said, is that excessive screen time is an independent and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor—even among young adults—and reducing it should be considered alongside exercise as part of preventive cardiovascular care.