Mobile phone calls associated with increased risk of high blood pressure

According to new research published today in European Heart Journal – Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), talking on a cell phone for 30 minutes or more per week is associated with a 12pc increased risk of high blood pressure compared to less than 30 minutes. “It’s the number of minutes people spend talking on a mobile that matter for heart health, with more minutes meaning greater risk,” said study author Professor Xianhui Qin of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. “Years of use or employing a hands-free set-up had no influence on the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. More studies are needed to confirm the findings.” Almost three-quarters of the global population aged 10 and over own a mobile phone.2 Nearly 1.3 billion adults aged 30 to 79 years worldwide have high blood pressure (hypertension).3 Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke and a leading cause of premature death globally.