A recent study by The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University in China has linked excessive screen time spent watching short videos at bedtime to a higher prevalence of essential hypertension in young and middle-aged individuals. Published in BMC Public Health, the study analyzed data from over 4,300 participants between January and September 2023.
The researchers highlighted that this habit, which is increasingly common due to the popularity of short video platforms, significantly raises the risk of high blood pressure. They urged strict control of bedtime screen time, along with lifestyle improvements such as managing body weight, blood lipids, blood glucose, and uric acid levels.
“The screen time spent watching short videos at bedtime was significantly associated with essential hypertension in young and middle-aged people,” the team noted in their paper.
This finding aligns with prior research published in European Heart Journal - Digital Health, which linked prolonged mobile phone use to increased blood pressure risks due to low levels of radiofrequency energy exposure.
With 1.3 billion adults globally affected by hypertension—a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and premature death—these findings underline the urgent need for lifestyle modifications.
