Besides communication, modern phones can be used for entertainment, shopping and even banking. Regardless of age, there’s no denying that more people are using their smartphones these days compared to previous years.

However, one study suggests that excessive cell phone use may be linked to heart issues. For the study, researchers reviewed data from 212,000 British adults in the U.K. Biobank. The participants had an average age of 54, and they were asked how often they made calls every week. None of the participants had high blood pressure when the study began.

The study published in the European Heart Journal found that those who spend at least 30 minutes talking on their cell phone a week have a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

According to the researchers, the radio waves emitted by common gadgets can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) in users over an extended period of time. People who talked on their cell phones for at least 30 minutes or more a week had a 12 percent higher risk of high blood pressure compared to people who spent less time talking on their phones. High blood pressure is linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. At least one in four adults in the U.K. has that condition.

Meanwhile, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in America. CVD accounted for 928,741 deaths in 2020. In 2020, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause (41.2 percent) of deaths attributable to CVD in the U.S., followed by stroke (17.3 percent), other CVDs (16.8 percent), high blood pressure (12.9 percent), heart failure (9.2 percent) and diseases of the arteries (2.6 percent).

Study findings also revealed that people who talked on their cell phones for more than six hours a week increased their risk of having high blood pressure by 25 percent. (Related: Wireless radiation from mobile devices causing REAL HARM to people.)

In the U.K., nearly all adults own a cell phone, with 92 percent now owning a smartphone. It is believed that Brits spend at least five hours a day scrolling through social media, playing games, banking and networking.

Meanwhile, Americans spend four hours and 25 minutes every day on their cell phones. Americans check their phones 144 times a day and at least 89 percent of them said they check their phones within the first 10 minutes of waking up. At least 75 percent of Americans feel uneasy leaving their phone at home, and 75 percent of users check their phones within five minutes of getting a notification.

https://heart.news/2023-05-18-smartphone-use-linked-to-heart-attack-stroke-risk.html#