TV Viewing is Associated With All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults With Hypertension: Findings From a 6-Year Longitudinal Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between TV viewing and all-cause mortality in older adults with hypertension. Sedentary behavior, physical activity, hypertension and other chronic diseases were assessed by face-to-face interviews and confirmed by medical history. Mortality was reported by relatives and confirmed in medical records of the National Health System. The fully- adjusted model showed a direct association between high TV viewing time and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.65 [95% CI 1.02 - 2.68]). Women with high TV viewing were more likely to die than men. Higher TV viewing time was associated with all-cause mortality among those with diabetes and hypertension (HR: 3.54 [95% CI 1.64 - 7.66]). The findings from this longitudinal study show that higher TV viewing time is associated with higher risk for all-cause mortality among older adults with hypertension, independently of physical activity and other potential confounders.