Shining, Sinister, Insidious… Each year, new horror films go out to the cinema, to the delight of aficionados. But according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Leiden (Netherlands), these terrifying feature films would indeed have an impact on our health. And it would be a question of not abusing it to protect it!
The scientists gathered 24 volunteers before dividing them into two groups. The first group watched Insidious, a horror fantasy film released in 2011. The second group was treated to a much less scary screening: A year in champagne, a documentary on the manufacturing methods of Champagne (2015).
A risk of venous thrombosis
Fifteen minutes before the session, all the volunteers were subjected to a blood test. Another blood test took place 15 minutes after the end of the film. The researchers specify that they had asked the participants not to smoke or drink alcohol during the 24 hours preceding the experiment.
Results ? 57% of the volunteers who watched Insidious had abnormally high levels of factor VIII (or anti-hemophilic factor A), a protein present in the blood plasma: it participates in particular in the coagulation process. When it is in deficit, the risk ofhaemophilia increases. But when it is present in too much in the body, clots can form. These are likely to interfere with blood flow, which can (for example) lead to venous thrombosis. Morality, during this holiday season, so as not to end up in Emergency, we limit ourselves to romantic comedies!
This study was published on December 16, 2015 in the scientific journal British Medical Journal.
