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Children and young adults browsing electronic gadgets for long hours are vulnerable to higher risks for cardiometabolic diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance, says new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

This analysis of more than 1,000 participants in two studies in Denmark found that increased recreational screen time was significantly associated with higher cardiovascular risks and cardiometabolic risks among children and adolescents.

According to study lead author David Horner, a researcher at the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, the study provides evidence that the connection between screen time and cardiometabolic diseases starts early and it stresses on the need to have balanced daily routines. Limiting discretionary screen time in childhood and adolescence may protect long-term heart and metabolic health, he said.

Using data from a group of 10-year-olds studied in 2010 and a group of 18-year-olds in 2000 that were part of the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood cohorts, researchers examined the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk factors. Screen time includes time spent watching TV, movies, gaming or using phones, tablets or computers for leisure.

The analysis also found that both sleep duration and sleep timing affected the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk. Both shorter sleep duration and going to sleep later intensified the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk. Children and adolescents who had less sleep showed significantly higher risk associated with the same amount of screen time.

In addition, a machine learning analysis identified a unique metabolic signature in the blood that appeared to be associated with screen time suggesting that screen-related metabolic changes may carry early signals of long-term heart health risk.

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