Smart Phones Linked With Increased Risk of High Blood Pressure

According to a new study, talking on your phone for 30 minutes or more per week is linked with a 12% increased risk of high blood pressure compared with less than 30 minutes.

It doesn’t matter if you are using the phone hands-free or handheld, the results are still the same say the researchers.

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. Mobile phones emit low levels of radio-frequency energy, which has been linked with rises in blood pressure after short-term exposure. 

Mobile phone users had a 7% higher risk of hypertension compared with non-users. Those who talked on their mobile for 30 minutes or more per week had a 12% greater likelihood of new-onset high blood pressure than participants who spent less than 30 minutes on phone calls. The results were similar for women and men.