Addicted to reels? It can cause high blood pressure, hypertension, finds study

The study was conducted based on time spent watching reels during bedtime. (Representational image: Unsplash)

Watching short videos or reels on social media is an integral part of the daily lives of young and middle-aged people. But, a recent study has found a correlation between the screen time spent watching reels at bedtime and hypertension in young and middle-aged people.

Published in BMC journal, the study conducted on 4,318 young and middle-aged people in China found that the more participants spent time watching reels, the more susceptible they were to high blood pressure and hypertension. The findings grabbed eyeballs after being shared by Bengaluru-based cardiologist Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy.

"Apart from being a major distraction and waste of time, reel addiction is also associated with high blood pressure in young and middle-aged people. Time to uninstall," he wrote on X.

Apart from being a major distraction and waste of time, reel addiction is also associated with high #BloodPressure in young and middle-aged people. Time to #UnInsta!! #DoomScrolling #MedTwitter pic.twitter.com/Kuahr4CZlB
Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy (@DrDeepakKrishn1) January 11, 2025

Moreover, the study was conducted based on time spent watching reels during bedtime. "While traditional screen time encompasses the time spent watching television, playing video games and using computers, for example, people may watch television accompanied by a certain amount of physical activity, our study was based on screen time spent watching short videos at bedtime, which is more reflective of a sedentary nature," it stated.

It also found that watching short videos before bedtime can cause sympathetic arousal (or the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with the body's "fight-or-flight" response), which may be another important cause for high blood pressure.

Researchers Fengde Li, Fangfang Ma, Shangyu Liu, Le Wang, Lishuang Ji, Mingqi Zheng, and Gang Liu of Hebei Medical University recommended people strictly control their screen time spent watching short videos at bedtime apart from having a healthy lifestyle to reduce the chances of developing hypertension.