Watching short videos or reels on social media has become a daily habit for many young and middle-aged individuals. However, a recent study has revealed a link between the time spent watching reels before bedtime and an increased risk of hypertension in these age groups.
Published in the BMC journal, the study involved 4,318 participants from China. It found that those who spent more time watching reels were more likely to develop high blood pressure and hypertension. The findings gained significant attention after being shared by Bengaluru-based cardiologist Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy.
“Apart from being a major distraction and waste of time, reel addiction is also associated with high blood pressure in young and middle-aged people. Time to uninstall,” he wrote on X.
Moreover, the study was conducted based on time spent watching reels during bedtime. “While traditional screen time encompasses the time spent watching television, playing video games and using computers, for example, people may watch television accompanied by a certain amount of physical activity, our study was based on screen time spent watching short videos at bedtime, which is more reflective of a sedentary nature,” it stated.
The study also discovered that watching short videos before bedtime can trigger sympathetic arousal, which activates the sympathetic nervous system linked to the body’s “fight-or-flight” response. This activation may contribute significantly to the development of high blood pressure.
Researchers Fengde Li, Fangfang Ma, Shangyu Liu, Le Wang, Lishuang Ji, Mingqi Zheng, and Gang Liu from Hebei Medical University advised people to limit their screen time spent watching short videos before bed, in addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, to lower the risk of developing hypertension.
