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Many people wonder whether television watching affects health, including cognition. Researchers analyzed data from a prospective coronary heart disease study of 5115 young adults (mean age, 25) who completed self-assessments of hours spent watching television and amount of specific physical activities every 2 to 5 years for 25 years; at year 25, they underwent testing of processing speed, executive function, and verbal memory. The analysis included 3247 subjects with cognitive testing results and ≥3 self-assessments.
After adjustment for relevant factors such as age, sex, body-mass index, hypertension, smoking, and APOE4 status, a long-term pattern of low physical activity was associated with significantly slower processing speed. Watching t…