Another study has been released warning against the dangers of excessive television viewing.

The Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia published a series of findings that show an increased risk of heart disease-related deaths in adults who watch large amounts of television in their daily lives.

It is a widely held perception that too much television can have detrimental effects on one’s psyche and potentially influence behavior, said Sanjay Rajagopalan, a professor of medicine and radiology at Ohio State.

“A lot of people believe that watching less television, reading books for instance, especially if you’re more educated, is good for you,” said Rajagopalan. He believes that the study’s results re-affirm commonly held views, which is why the Australian institute’s study is garnering national media attention from sources like CNN.

Dr. Philip Binkley, a cardiologist at Ohio State, suggests that television is not the sole risk factor involved in this study.

“They’ve used watching TV as a surrogate for inactivity,” said Binkley. He contends that any sedentary activity would also produce a similar result.

But how does this study pertain to 18- to 21-year-old college students? Both doctors agree that it is important to get an early start.

“The key is to change your behavior, not when you’re 50, but when you’re 20,” said Rajagopalan. “Behavioral changes take a long time to affect outcomes, especially cardiovascular ones.”

“Because we know cardiovascular risk starts at a very early age, you want to minimize that risk, and avoiding inactivity is a good way to do that according to this study,” said Binkley. “Activity early in life is protective later in life as well.”

The part of the study that some might find intriguing is the data involving those who watched a lot of television but were still active.

According to the study, even people who exercised regularly had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death the longer they were sedentary, or sitting still for prolonged periods of time.

The study was conducted by observing the television and exercise habits of 50-year-old adults. While Binkley is satisfied with the institute’s findings, Rajagopalan is not convinced, although he does support the main focus of the study.

“One of the main caveats people need to keep in mind is that there are a number of confounding variables in the results,” said Rajagopalan, citing economic and anxiety-related factors. “Having said that, I’m all for the idea that watching less television is good for you, as it probably gets you [off] the couch and into more heart-healthy habits.”

While the study done by the Baker Institute frowns upon the excessive viewing of television no matter the additional circumstances, Rajagopalan suggests more thorough research is needed in order to procure a more accurate result. Nevertheless, both he and Binkley agree that it’s important for these studies to be published in the interest of raising awareness about the dangers of heart disease.