Mobile Phone Call Duration and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Prospective and Genetic Evidence on a Potential Depression-Related Pathway

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cohort. Population: Cardiovascular disease (n=328170). Intervention: Mobile phone call duration >6 h/week vs. Less than 5 min/week. Primary outcome: Incident coronary artery disease (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10-1.27).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Longer weekly mobile phone call duration (greater than 6 hours per week) is prospectively associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease and stroke, with exploratory genetic evidence suggesting a potential depression-related pathway. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Yanxin Yin; Yan Luo; Tong Liu; Qingpeng Zhang

doi:10.3390/bioengineering13091035

September 5, 2026BioengineeringOpen Access

Mobile Phone Call Duration and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Prospective and Genetic Evidence on a Potential Depression-Related Pathway

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Key result

Mobile phone use over 6 hours weekly is linked to ~18% higher CAD risk.

HR 1.18
95% CI 1.10-1.27
n=328,170

Figures

Why the study?

Mobile phone use has been associated with CVD, but the role of major depressive disorder in this relationship remains uncertain.

Does longer weekly mobile phone call duration increase the risk of incident cardiovascular disease in adults?

Key Points

To evaluate prospective associations between weekly mobile phone call duration and incident cardiovascular outcomes, while assessing major depressive disorder as a potential modifying or mediating pathway using genetic analyses.
Analyzed prospective data from UK Biobank cohorts (N = 320,343 to 328,170) using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to assess self-reported weekly mobile phone call duration against incident coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, heart failure (HF), and myocardial infarction (MI).
Evaluated baseline major depressive disorder (MDD) as an effect modifier across call-duration categories using interaction tests.
Conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and exploratory two-step MR using genome-wide significant instrumental variants (p < 5×10−8) and a suggestive threshold (p < 10−6) to test causal pathways among call duration, MDD, and cardiovascular outcomes.
In fully adjusted Cox models, call duration > 6 h/week versus < 5 min/week was associated with incident CAD (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10–1.27) and stroke (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05–1.29), but not HF or MI, with no significant interaction by baseline MDD (all interaction p ≥ 0.115).
Primary inverse-variance weighted MR showed genetically predicted call duration was associated with MDD (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.04–2.33; p = 0.030) and CAD (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.13–2.55; p = 0.011), while estimates for HF, stroke, and MI were imprecise.
Two-step MR indirect effects did not exclude zero in primary analyses, and nominal indirect associations at the sensitivity threshold did not remain significant after false-discovery-rate correction (BH-FDR p = 0.054 for CAD and HF; p = 0.061 for stroke; p = 0.077 for MI).

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=328,170)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does longer weekly mobile phone call duration increase the risk of incident cardiovascular disease in adults?

P

Population

328,170 adults aged 37-73 years from the UK Biobank, free of baseline cardiovascular disease, followed for incident cardiovascular outcomes.

E

Exposure

Self-reported weekly mobile phone call duration of 1-3 hours, 4-6 hours, or more than 6 hours.

C

Comparator

Self-reported weekly mobile phone call duration of less than 5 minutes.

O

Outcome

Incident heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI).hard clinical

Main Result

Hazard Ratio: 1.18 (95% CI 1.1–1.27)

Longer weekly mobile phone call duration is prospectively associated with a higher risk of incident CAD and stroke, with genetic evidence suggesting a potential depression-related pathway.

Limitations

Phone call duration was self-reported once at baseline and may not represent later use.
Baseline MDD could precede phone exposure, preventing cohort mediation analysis.
Observational estimates are susceptible to residual confounding and healthy-user selection.
MR analysis had a limited number of genome-wide significant instruments and potential pleiotropy.
Susceptible to residual confounding and healthy-user selection.
Participant overlap in MR analysis between exposure and outcome GWAS.
Limited number of genome-wide significant instruments and potential pleiotropy in MR.

Implication

Longer mobile phone call duration should not yet change clinical practice; extends observational links but leaves causal pathways via depression open.

Abstract

Background: Mobile phone use has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the role of major depressive disorder (MDD) in this relationship remains uncertain. Methods: We examined self-reported weekly mobile phone call duration and incident heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) in four UK Biobank at-risk cohorts (N = 320,343–328,170) using Cox regression. Baseline MDD was evaluated as a stratification and effect-modification variable. We also conducted two-sample MR and an exploratory two-step MR analysis of the pathway from call duration through MDD to CVD. Genome-wide significant instruments (p<5×10−8) defined the primary MR analysis; p<10−6 was examined as a sensitivity threshold. Results: In fully adjusted Cox models, call duration greater than 6 h/week was associated with CAD (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10–1.27) and stroke (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05–1.29) but not HF or MI. MDD-by-call-duration interactions were not significant (all interaction p≥0.115). Primary IVW MR estimates supported associations of genetically predicted call duration with MDD (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.04–2.33) and CAD (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.13–2.55), whereas estimates for HF, stroke, and MI were imprecise. None of the four primary two-step indirect effects excluded the null, and none remained significant after false-discovery-rate correction at the sensitivity threshold. Conclusions: Longer weekly mobile phone call duration was prospectively associated with CAD and stroke in UK Biobank. The MR findings provide exploratory, but not conclusive, support for an MDD-related pathway.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Yin et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular disease (n=328,170). Mobile phone call duration >6 h/week vs. Less than 5 min/week was evaluated on Incident coronary artery disease (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10-1.27). Mobile phone call duration greater than 6 hours per week was associated with an increased risk of incident coronary artery disease (HR 1.18) and stroke (HR 1.17) compared to less than 5 minutes per week.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9fd7e758e84d0ff5b46f66 https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13091035

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Mobile Phone Call Duration and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Prospective and Genetic Evidence on a Potential Depression-Related Pathway

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Mobile Phone Call Duration and Cardiovascular Outcomes: Prospective and Genetic Evidence on a Potential Depression-Related Pathway

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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