Story at-a-glance Spending more than two hours a day watching TV increases your heart disease risk by 12%, even if you have low genetic risk for Type 2 diabetes Limiting television viewing to less than one hour daily cuts heart disease risk, even in people with high genetic risk for Type 2 diabetes, according to new research Each extra hour of daily TV time raises your chances of developing heart disease by 3%, building up dangerous plaque in your arteries over time Watching TV displaces physical activity, encourages junk food and alcohol consumption, and leads to sluggish blood flow and dangerous clot formation Reducing your TV time and moving more helps prevent heart disease, no matter your genetics — sitting less is a simple, powerful daily change