Minimal TV Viewing May Cut ASCVD Risk in Those With T2DM Genetic Risk
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 -- Medium and high type 2 diabetes (T2D) genetic risks are not associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) when television viewing is no more than one hour a day, according to a study published online March 12 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Mengyao Wang, Ph.D., from The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, and colleagues examined the interaction between watching television and T2D genetic risk for ASCVD in a study involving 346,916 White British individuals from the U.K. Biobank. Based on 138 genetic variants associated with T2D, a weighted polygenic risk score was calculated for T2D. Time spent watching television was self-reported and categorized as no more than one hour/day and two or more hours/day. A total of 21,265 incident ASCVD events were identified during a median follow-up of 13.8 years.
The researchers found that watching television for two or more hours/day was associated with a 12 percent increased risk for ASCVD compared with no more than one hour/day, independent of T2D genetic risk. As long as television viewing was no more than one hour/day, medium and high T2D genetic risk was not associated with higher risks for ASCVD. For multiplicative and additive interactions between T2D genetic risk and television viewing, the P values were 0.050 and 0.038, respectively. The 10-year absolute ASCVD risk was lower for high T2D genetic risk plus no more than one hour/day television viewing versus low T2D genetic risk plus two or more hours/day television viewing (2.13 versus 2.46 percent).
"We found that people with high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes may exhibit lower chances of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by limiting TV watching to one hour or less each day," Wang said in a statement. "This suggests that less TV viewing could serve as a key behavioral target for preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases linked to type 2 diabetes genetics."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
DDW: Systematic Program Increases Likelihood of Up-to-Date Colorectal Cancer Screening
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- A systematic program of monitoring colorectal cancer (CRC) screening status increases up-to-date screening status, according to a study presented at the...
Medical Debt Tied to Higher Likelihood of Forgone Mental Health Care
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- More than one in seven adults reported carrying medical debt in 2023, and of these, one in three forwent mental health care in the subsequent year...
Faster Walking Pace Cuts Risk for Cardiac Arrhythmias
FRIDAY, April 25, 2025 -- Average and brisk walking pace are associated with a decreased risk for cardiac arrhythmias, according to a study published online April 15 in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.