Delhi Doctors Warn Prolonged Sitting for Gaming and Streaming Raises Blood Clot Risk
Vascular experts meeting at a medical conference in New Delhi held from October 8 to 10 warned that prolonged, uninterrupted sitting during gaming and streaming shows slows blood flow in the legs and increases the risk of dangerous blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis, even among young people.
Doctors stressed that the threat comes not from digital entertainment itself, but from the extended immobility that frequently accompanies it. Dr Tapish Sahu, organising secretary of VSI-ASVS 2026 and head of vascular and endovascular surgery at Max Hospital, said clinicians are increasingly seeing young patients who sit for long stretches with heavy screen exposure. He noted that sitting continuously for four to six hours while gaming or binge-watching leaves calf muscles largely inactive, adding that movement breaks must become part of digital life.
The medical warnings are supported by clinical research. A 2024 meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports, which reviewed 31 studies, found that individuals with the highest levels of sedentary behaviour had a 24 percent higher risk of venous thromboembolism compared to those with the lowest levels. The findings showed that the risk rose by roughly 2 percent for each additional hour of daily sedentary behaviour.
Dr Tarun Grover, senior director of peripheral vascular and endovascular sciences at Medanta, noted that immobility was traditionally considered a hazard primarily during long-distance travel, hospitalisation, or bed rest. He said physicians today must also ask young patients how many continuous hours they spend seated before gaming consoles, computers, or streaming screens.
Experts explained that while screen use alone does not directly cause deep vein thrombosis, long periods of sitting compound risks when paired with dehydration, obesity, smoking, hormonal factors, inherited clotting disorders, or previous thrombotic episodes. A recent study involving 11 adolescents with thrombosis revealed they used digital devices for an average of six hours daily, with continuous immobility averaging 2.7 hours. Among those patients, eight experienced lower-limb deep vein thrombosis, two suffered pulmonary embolisms, and one developed subclavian-vein thrombosis.
Dr Bhupesh Garg, senior vascular and endovascular surgeon at the Vascular Society of India, highlighted that smoking damages vascular health and raises thrombosis risk, while prolonged sitting slows blood flow because the calf muscles fail to pump blood back toward the heart. Specialists cautioned that routine exercise may not fully neutralize the risks of long sedentary stretches throughout the day, advising that sudden breathlessness, chest pain, or leg swelling require immediate medical evaluation.
