India, March 25 -- People who reported spending six or more hours on screens outside of school or work had worse blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) compared with those with more limited screen time, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

Screen time was independently associated with these markers of cardiovascular risk even after accounting for differences in daily physical activity.

The findings point to excessive time spent playing video games, watching videos and scrolling social media as an emerging risk factor among young people, researchers said, suggesting that clinicians could assess screen use as an early indicator that patients may be ...