Newswise — Sophia Antipolis, 5 May 2023: Research published today in European Heart Journal – Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), has found that conversing on a mobile for 30 minutes or beyond each week is associated with a 12% higher chance of high blood pressure compared to talking for less than 30 minutes.
"According to Professor Xianhui Qin of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, the crucial factor for heart health is the duration of mobile phone usage, as longer conversations are associated with higher risks. The study found no correlation between the number of years of phone use or the use of hands-free sets and the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. However, further research is necessary to verify these results."
Approximately 72% of individuals aged 10 years and above worldwide possess a mobile phone, as per reports. Furthermore, around 1.3 billion adults aged between 30 and 79 years across the globe suffer from high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Hypertension is a significant risk factor for heart attack and stroke and is among the primary causes of premature death worldwide. Mobile phones emit radiofrequency energy in low quantities, which has been linked to elevated blood pressure levels following short-term exposure. Prior research on the correlation between mobile phone use and blood pressure was inconclusive, likely due to the inclusion of calls, texts, gaming, and other factors.
The focus of this research was to investigate the link between the development of hypertension and the act of making or receiving phone calls. To achieve this, the study utilized information from the UK Biobank, and the participants were individuals aged between 37 and 73 years, numbering 212,046, who did not have hypertension at the start of the study. Data concerning the use of mobile phones to make or receive calls were collected via a self-reported touchscreen questionnaire, which included details such as the number of years of usage, the hours spent on phone calls per week, and the use of hands-free devices or speakerphones. Mobile phone users were defined as participants who used a mobile phone at least once every week to make or receive calls.
After gathering the necessary data, the researchers analyzed the association between mobile phone usage and the development of new-onset hypertension. The analysis was conducted while adjusting for several potential confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, race, deprivation, family history of hypertension, education, smoking status, blood pressure, blood lipids, inflammation, blood glucose, kidney function, and the use of medications to lower cholesterol or blood glucose levels.
The study participants had an average age of 54 years, with women constituting 62% of the sample, and 88% of the participants reported using mobile phones. Over a median follow-up period of 12 years, 13,984 individuals (7% of the total sample) developed hypertension. Mobile phone users exhibited a 7% higher risk of hypertension than non-users. Additionally, participants who spent 30 minutes or more per week engaged in mobile phone calls had a 12% higher likelihood of developing hypertension compared to those who spent less than 30 minutes on phone calls. This finding was consistent for both men and women.
Further analysis of the data revealed that participants who spent less than 5 minutes per week making or receiving mobile phone calls had a lower risk of developing hypertension compared to those who spent more time on the phone. Specifically, compared to those who used mobile phones for less than 5 minutes per week, individuals who used mobile phones for 30-59 minutes, 1-3 hours, 4-6 hours, and more than 6 hours per week had a raised risk of high blood pressure by 8%, 13%, 16%, and 25%, respectively. The study did not find any significant association between years of mobile phone use, or the use of hands-free devices/speakerphone and the development of hypertension among mobile phone users.
In addition to analyzing the relationship between mobile phone usage and new-onset hypertension, the researchers also investigated whether the link between phone use and hypertension varied based on participants' genetic risk of developing high blood pressure. The study authors used data from the UK Biobank to determine participants' genetic risk levels. The analysis revealed that individuals with a high genetic risk of developing hypertension were at the greatest risk of developing high blood pressure if they spent at least 30 minutes per week on their mobile phones. Specifically, those with high genetic risk who spent 30 minutes or more on their phones had a 33% higher likelihood of developing hypertension compared to those with low genetic risk who spent less than 30 minutes per week on their phones.
According to Professor Qin, the results of the study suggest that there may not be an increased risk of developing high blood pressure associated with talking on a mobile phone, as long as the weekly call time is kept below 30 minutes. However, he also emphasized the need for further research to confirm these findings. In the meantime, it may be wise to limit mobile phone use to preserve heart health.
ENDS
Funding: The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFC2009600, 2022YFC2009605), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81973133, 81730019).
Disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
References
1Ye Z, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, et al. Mobile phone calls, genetic susceptibility and new-onset hypertension: results from 212,046 UK Biobank participants. Eur Heart J Digit Health. 2023. doi:10.1093/ehjdh/ztad024.
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