You may want to think twice before indulging in binge-watching your favorite TV shows or streaming series. New research shows that watching too much television increases the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and depression.
The study: Investigators analyzed data on 473,184 people aged 39-72 years from the UK Biobank enrolled from 2006 to 2010. Researchers followed the participants until a diagnosis of dementia, PD, depression, death, or the study ended (in 2018 for Wales residents; in 2021 for residents of England and Scotland).
Details, 6,096 people developed dementia, 3,000 developed PD, 23,600 developed depression, 1,200 developed dementia and depression, and 486 developed PD and depression.
Key findings
- Watching 4+ hours of TV per day was associated with
- 28% higher risk of dementia
- 35% higher risk of depression
- 16% higher risk of PD compared to watching less than 1 hour daily.
- In contrast, using a computer moderately (30-60 minutes per day) outside of work was linked to
- 32% lower risk of dementia
- 14% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease)
- 15% lower risk of depression
Yes, but: The lack of physical activity could explain the connection between prolonged TV watching and a higher risk for PD and dementia.
- The study authors noted that sedentary behavior is, "associated with biomarkers of low-grade inflammation and changes in inflammation markers that could initiate and or worsen neuroinflammation and contribute to neurodegeneration."
Why it matters
Two practical outcomes: For brain and body health, movement rules—and interactive, intellectually engaging technology is less hazardous than passive watching.
- For example, the researchers found that replacing 30 minutes of computer time with the same amount of exercise lowered the risks of dementia and Parkinson’s.
