A Danish study, published on Wednesday August 6 in the journal Journal of the American Heart Associationshows that an extended screen time in children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of cardio-metabolic diseases. The lack of sleep, often linked to this exhibition, still amplifies these effects. Decryption.
Screen time and cardio-metabolic risks in children
In children, too much time spent in front of a screen, whether it is a tablet, a phone or a television, can increase the risk of heart and metabolic diseases, according to a study in Denmark. “”Children and young adults who spend excessive hours glued to screens and electronic devices may present increased risks of cardio-metabolic diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and resistance to insulin“, Specifies the study. These factors then increase the probabilities of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. “”This means that a child with three hours of screen time per day would have a global risk of the order of a quarter to half a taperpart higher than that of his peers“Explains David Horner, principal author of the study and researcher at the University of Copenhagen.
“Multiply this at the scale of an entire population of children, and you observe a significant evolution of the early cardiometabolic risk which could persist in adulthood“He adds.
The aggravating role of lack of sleep
The researchers analyzed data from more than 1,000 children and young adults aged 10 and 18, relating to their screen and sleep habits. They found that each additional hour passed in front of a screen increased the probability of presenting cardio-metabolic risk factors, with a more marked effect among 18-year-olds. The lack of sleep, often associated with prolonged use of screens, further accentuates these risks, reducing the body’s recovery capacity and impacting metabolism.
A consensus still under construction
If the deleterious effect of screens on children and adolescents is not entirely unanimous in the scientific community, the majority of specialists consider that the youngest are more vulnerable than adults at these risks. Some studies still nuance the magnitude of this impact, but Danish researchers believe that this data must alert families and encourage to limit exposure to screens from the youngest age.