Carl
2024-09-19 06:21:09 UTC
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Hold the phone!
New research out of China suggests a link between cellphone use and an
increased risk of heart disease, especially among smokers and diabetics.
The study authors partly blame this association on poor sleep,
psychological stress and neuroticism.
A poor sleep pattern and poor mental health may adversely affect the
development of cardiovascular diseases through disrupted circadian rhythm,
endocrine and metabolic disruption, and increased inflammation, said co-
investigator Dr. Xianhui Qin.
But before you permanently silence your cellphone, its important to know
that this study is based on data recorded nearly 20 years ago.
The researchers had 444,000 middle-aged adults report how often they used
their phones at some point between 2006 and 2010. Regular mobile phone
use was defined as making or receiving at least one call a week 23% of
those surveyed used their phones an hour a week.
Participants were tracked for about 12 years, with researchers examining
hospital and death records for incidence of stroke, coronary heart
disease, atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
More than 56,000 participants developed cardiovascular disease. Regular
mobile phone users, especially smokers and diabetics, experienced a
significantly higher risk.
Some 11.5% of cases were blamed on psychological distress, 5.1% on poor
sleep and 2.3% on neuroticism.
The study limitations were highlighted in an editorial that accompanied
the research, which was published Wednesday in the Canadian Journal of
Cardiology.
Given that the recruitment window of this study (2006 to 2010) occurred
before the widespread use of modern smartphones, which are now more
commonly used for other activities (eg, entertainment, text messaging, e-
mail, social networking), the generalizability and current relevance of
these findings requires careful consideration, reads the editorial co-
written by three researchers from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Varinder Singh, the Paul and Diane Guenther chair of cardiology at
Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, reviewed the research and called the
findings interesting.
It is important to understand that regular cellphone usage does not cause
cardiovascular disease, but may be associated with less healthy lifestyles
that promote cardiovascular disease progression, including psychological
and sleep factors, Singh, who was not involved in the study, told The
Post.
The study authors also raised concern about the health effects of
radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by cellphones.
In 2011, the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research
on Cancer classified RF-EMF from mobile phones as possibly carcinogenic
based on limited evidence of an increased risk of brain cancer.
However, a WHO-commissioned analysis published this week found no
connection between cellphone radiation and brain cancer even for people
who are constantly on their phones.
This systematic review provides the strongest evidence to date that radio
waves from wireless technologies are not a hazard to human health, said
Ken Karipidis, a lead author of the review.
https://nypost.com/2024/09/04/lifestyle/do-cellphones-increase-the-risk-
of-heart-disease/