Study: Teens' internet use linked to high blood pressure

Teens who spend a lot of time on line might be putting their health at risk. Henry Ford researchers have found a link between heavy internet use and high blood pressure.

Many of us have trouble pulling ourselves away from the internet, but teens that spend a lot of time online, could face an unexpected consequence.

Henry Ford health researchers found that heavy internet users were more at risk for high blood pressure.

How much time online is too much? For this study published in the Journal of School Nursing, heavy internet users were online an average of 25 hours a week.

Researchers also found almost half of heavy internet users were considered overweight.  So the health problem may not be what kids are doing in the virtual world, but what they're not doing in the real world. 

Bottom line is that parents need to be limiting children's time at home on the internet. Dr. Cassidy Bushrow recommends two hours a day and five days a week as a rule of thumb.