Death by Television

A public service word of caution to all those (like myself) looking forward to watching some college football on TV this weekend.  

It can kill you.  

No joke.  But so can a binge session of “Justified”, “Top Gear”, “House of Cards”, “Andy Griffith”, or, as I have been painfully exposed to against my will, “America’s Next Top Model.” 

Why, even the DVD series of “The Barbara Mandrell Show” or “The Carol Burnett Show” could be a person’s last memory on this earth.  Imagine Carol Burnett’s singing being the last thing a person hears prior to departing this life.  That’s not a stretch, actually. 

According to research presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress this past Saturday by Mr Toru Shirakawa, public health research fellow in the Department of Social Medicine at Osaka University in Japan, prolonged television watchers are at a much higher risk of fatal pulmonary embolism.  

Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that usually forms in the the legs and travels to the lung.  It can cause extreme chest pain, shortness of breath, and sudden death even in an otherwise healthy individual.  Many people recognize airline travel as a risk of a pulmonary embolism.  

Now watching television is, also. 

The research is quite impressive.  Over 86,000 people aged 40 to 79 were followed for over 18 years in Japan.  Television watching was journaled and the cause of death was confirmed from death certificates.  

People were divided into three groups:  those who watched 2.5 hours or less per day, those who watch between 2.5 and 4.9 hours per day, and those who watched over 5 hours per day.  

(For the number crunchers reading this, yes, the data was adjusted for age at baseline, gender, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, smoking status, drinking status, body mass index, walking and sports habits and menopausal status.)

During the follow up period it was found that 58 people had died from pulmonary embolism.  If you think that isn’t many, imagine standing in Neyland Stadium with nearly 100,000 of your nearest kinfolk and friends and nearly 60 people will randomly selected from the crowd.  It becomes a very real number.  

The researchers determined that people who watched over 5 hours of television per day were twice as likely to have a fatal pulmonary embolism as those who watched 2.5 hours or less.  

Even more interesting was the finding that individuals under the age of 60 who watched for over 5 hours had a six-fold greater risk of fatal pulmonary embolism than those who watched less than 2.5.  The risk was three-fold greater for the 2.5-4.9 hours of watching in the same group.  

This means, a person who is between the ages of 40 and 60 has the greatest risk of fatal pulmonary embolism after watching television for over 5 hours.  That is roughly two football games, or one baseball game, or one half of a European soccer game (or so it seems). 

That is also equivalent to ten episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” (easy), two chick flick movies (tougher), or about eight episodes of “America’s Next Top Model” (death already being pondered at that point). 

Mr. Shirakawa commented on the findings of his research that leg mobility, much like with flying, needs to be a point of focus during television watching.  He suggested that getting up, walking, stretching and drinking plenty of water for hydration during regular breaks from viewing needs to be an emphasis for any age group.  

He further noted that fatal pulmonary embolisms have been documented in individuals playing video games, but that it isn’t clear if prolonged usage of computers or smartphones is a risk.  

It makes sense, actually, that television viewing would be a risk.  The blood in the legs moves back to the heart by the action of the muscles in the legs compressing the veins and pushing the blood up the veins to the heart.  The one-way valves in the veins keep the blood from flowing backwards and promotes circulation.  

This is the reason that it is important for the legs to move some while we sleep, but of course not enough to keep a spouse awake.  It is also the reason there is such an emphasis on hospital admissions to reduce the risk of clots in the legs either by walking, compression devices on the legs, and/or blood thinners.  

We weren’t made to be still.  We should be still some for rest, prayer, meditation and social courtesy, but not for prolonged periods of time.  

We are made to move.  Sitting in front of the television (or video game) locks our attention and lowers our motivation to move and be active.  It is a habit that can easily be changed. 

It isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine the day when the television will have a sensor and a camera looking back at us to determine if we are moving enough.  The television will see us sitting still, communicate with our health insurance’s computer, and Boom(!) - change the channel to a re-run of Lawrence Welk and the Polyester Singers.  That will get anyone out of the room.  

Eric J. Littleton, M.D. (@DrEricLittleton) is a Family Physician in Sevierville, TN.  His office is in the UT Regional Health Center Sevierville at 1130 Middle Creek Road. Topics covered are general in nature and should not be used to change medical treatments and/or plans without first discussing with your physician. Send questions to askdrlittleton@gmail.com

Football and Life

My great uncle was killed by a blow to the head in a football game.  

It was the early 1930’s in a little community west of Knoxville called Wheat.  The details are few, but our family genealogist, my brother Mark, shared this with me earlier this year.  He was hit during the game, loss consciousness, and died three days later. It may explain my grandmother’s complete disinterest with any sports activity. We suspect my dad may have been named for him. 

Less than ten years later, the community of Wheat would be forever dissolved by a decision from General Leslie Groves to make room for the Manhattan Project and uranium enrichment.  Somewhere in the secured areas around Oak Ridge there is a grave where my family said goodbye to a young man who died playing a game I love. 

Football, the American version, not that silly European kind where a player automatically surrenders the use of two perfectly good limbs, is my favorite sport. Sports in general are good for the discipline they teach and the family time they can create, but football holds a special place for me.  

I was a freshman in high school, barely over a hundred and thirty pounds, when I decided I wanted to give it a try.  Mom and Dad (Dad, knowing, but not mentioning his uncle had died in a game) gave their permission with one clause:  you must not quit during the season. 

They also told me I had to break the news to my piano teacher of nine years that I was giving up piano lessons to play football.  That wasn’t easy for me to do, but Mrs. Hicks oddly looked relieved when I told her.  She told me to keep playing the piano.  I did. 

My sophomore year at Harriman was memorable.  We lost every game.  We even snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a game against Seymour.  Snapping the ball over the punter’s head and allowing the Seymour player to fall on it in the endzone is a great way to lose a one point lead. 

We were pummeled by Loudon, destroyed by Kingston, embarrassed by Rockwood and even kicked around by the likes of Oliver Springs. It was awful.  Our steadfast cheerleaders, trying to encourage us, read a letter to us over the PA system as we warmed up for our last game of the season.  Our opponents beat us AND made fun of us for that one. 

Nevertheless, I wanted to keep playing.  I enjoyed the challenge physically.  I liked the mental preparation. I really enjoyed the friendships. 

I learned football represents life in a lot of ways.  You work to gain ground and acquire points.  Eleven players must work in tandem, performing their expected duties, in order for one to possibly score.  It may be hot, or it may be cold, it may be raining - it doesn’t matter.  Play the game. 

I learned things aren’t always as they appear.  My senior year Oliver Springs had the biggest collection of players I had ever seen.  They had no discipline and we beat them soundly.  

I learned cheerleaders can be your number one supporter on the sidelines, but if you focus on them during the game your opponent will run over you. 

I learned breaking old ways of thinking is difficult but it can be done.  Sometimes, it must be done when you hate losing enough.  

I learned halftime isn’t halfway.  I saw my Harriman team score twenty-two points in the last four minutes of a game to win.  I have witnessed Sevier County come back from twenty-eight points down with a minute to go in the third quarter to beat a very talented Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett team in the second round of the playoffs - at Kingsport, no less. 

I learned friendships last longer than final scores.  The numbers seem to fade, but the friendships forged in long hot and cold days of practice and ballgames will last for a lifetime. 

All of these lessons and more are now being learned by the football players who will put on new smelling jerseys this Friday night, tape up the ankles, go through their own personal routines prior to a game, and step on the field before the members of their family and community.  

My favorite time was in early pre-game warmups laying on the ground smelling the freshly cut Bermudagrass mixed in with the aroma of hot chocolate, grilled hamburgers, cotton candy and popcorn.  I would lay there looking up at the sky thanking God for the opportunity to put on the uniform and play a game. 

I remember seeing a young father with his little boy peering at us through the fence as I layed there warming up.  I realized then I was playing for our community - for the little kids.  For the dreams they would have wanting to play on the big high school field someday.  

Some will be remembered for great plays.  Some will be remembered for not so great plays.  All will remember playing. 

Our community is blessed with six high school football teams, five public and one private. We have teams of legendary histories in East Tennessee and one team that has yet to even play one varsity game. We have a vast collection of coaches who, collectively, have hundreds of years of coaching. It is a great place for a player to learn the game.

This Friday night will be the first of eleven weeks of regular season football games this year.  With six teams there will always be a game somewhere locally where players will put on display for their family and friends what they hope will be their best effort.   

There will also be musicians learning how to be a member of a larger group of musicians while still crafting their own musical style.  They, too, are learning lifelong lessons. 

There will be cheerleaders and dance team members who have worked in the off season to contribute their talents and dedication to the community in which we live.  

I would encourage you to consider going to at least one game this season.  The community atmosphere, the drama on the field, the performance by the band, cheerleaders, and dance teams all are well worth the price of admission.  

Football is faced with many challenges in the future given the current and future legal proceedings surrounding concussions.  The risk of injury, either now or down the road, gives many parents a reason for concern for their athlete.  Each family should make their decision after talking through it thoroughly.  

I am thankful my Dad, knowing that he had an uncle killed from the sport, allowed me to play.  The modern football equipment certainly was better when I played than in the 1930’s, but fear can ignore reason sometimes. 

The lessons I learned helped me in life and continue to remind me each day.  I am thankful to be on the sidelines watching, and describing, a new generation embracing it, too.  

Go see a game.  You will enjoy it. 

They will appreciate it. 

Eric J. Littleton, M.D. (@DrEricLittleton) is a Family Physician in Sevierville, TN.  His office is in the UT Regional Health Center Sevierville at 1130 Middle Creek Road. He was a member of the Harriman High School Football Team during their memorable 8-2 season in 1984.  He is a member of the radio broadcast team for Sevier County High School Football Team.