Screen-heavy lifestyle tied to early signs of heart trouble in children

Spending long hours in front of screens, whether on phones or TVs, may raise the risk of heart and metabolic diseases in children, a Danish study revealed on Wednesday.

The study tracked the screen consumption and sleep habits of more than 1,000 10-year-olds and 18-year-olds, with researchers examining the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk factors.

"Children and young adults who spend excessive hours glued to screens and electronic devices may have higher risks for cardiometabolic diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance," said the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Subsequently, they face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or diabetes, the researchers found.

The analysis revealed that each additional hour of daily screen time increases the risk of disease.

"This means a child with three extra hours of screen time a day would have roughly a quarter to half a standard-deviation higher risk than their peers," lead author David Horner, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said in a statement.

"Multiply that across a whole population of children, and you're looking at a meaningful shift in early cardiometabolic risk that could carry into adulthood," Horner added.

Researchers are divided on the potential harmful effects of screens on children and adolescents, but the majority agree that younger populations are more at risk compared to adults.