Singles Day shopping mania takes toll on health

Marathon online shopping sessions during Singles Day are taking their toll on some people's health, in the form of high blood pressure and lack of sleep, among other problems.

Dr Song He from Shanghai Yodak Cardio-Thoracic Hospital said she has received several young and middle-aged women for chest pain and shortness of breath, after they stayed up late to watch livestreams and search for pre-sales deals.

“A 35-year-old woman said she went to sleep at 2am every day since late last month for various shopping incidents,” Song said. “She came to me for poor sleep and chest discomfort. Checks found her blood pressure was high.”

Doctors warn shoppers that staying awake to surf the Internet can damage heart health, causing hypertension, myocardial ischemia and cardiac arythmia.

“Winter itself is the peak season for cardiovascular events. The risk increases by 2 percent when the temperature drops by one degree Celsius and people must be aware,” Song added.