Wait for the call!
New research from China A new study suggests that mobile phone use is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, especially in smokers and people with diabetes. The study authors attribute this association to lack of sleep, psychological stress, and neuroticism.
“Poor sleep patterns and poor mental health may have a negative impact on the development of cardiovascular disease through disruption of circadian rhythms, endocrine and metabolic disorders, and increased inflammation,” explained co-author Dr. Qin Xianhui.
But before you go on silent with your cell phone forever, it's important to know that this study is based on data recorded almost 20 years ago.
The researchers asked 444,000 middle-aged adults to report the frequency of their mobile phone use between 2006 and 2010. “Regular” mobile phone use was defined as making or receiving at least one call per week, and 23% of those surveyed used their mobile phone for an hour per week.
Participants were followed for about 12 years, and researchers examined hospital and death records to determine the incidence of stroke, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.
More than 56,000 participants developed cardiovascular disease, and those who used mobile phones regularly, especially smokers and people with diabetes, experienced a “significantly higher” risk.
Approximately 11.5% of cases were attributed to psychological stress, 5.1% to lack of sleep, and 2.25% to neurosis.
Study limitations highlighted In an editorial Accompanying the study published Wednesday Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
“Given that the recruitment period of this study (2006-2010) occurred before the widespread use of modern smartphones, which are now commonly used for other activities (e.g., entertainment, texting, email, social networking), the generalizability and current relevance of these findings need to be considered with caution,” reads an editorial co-authored by three University of Toronto researchers.
The study authors also expressed concern about the health effects of radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by mobile phones.
2011The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified RF-EMF from mobile phones as possibly carcinogenic, based on limited evidence of an increased risk of brain tumors.
but, Analysis commissioned by WHO A study published this week found no link between cell phone radiation and brain tumors, even in people who use their cell phones constantly.
“This systematic review provides the strongest evidence to date that radio waves from wireless technologies pose no risks to human health,” said Ken Karipidis, the review's lead author.
