{
  "abstract": "Esports and gaming resemble traditional sports and physical activity because both involve sustained cognitive and emotional stress; however, this stress occurs against a background of prolonged sedentary behavior. This narrative review examines the neuroendocrine, metabolic, and endothelial consequences of this “stress without movement” phenotype and its potential implications for long-term cardiovascular health. Activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system disrupts sleep and circadian rhythms. Continuous neuroendocrine activation may impair muscle–adipose tissue crosstalk and nitric oxide-dependent endothelial function. Although direct longitudinal evidence linking gaming to cardiovascular disease is currently lacking, these convergent mechanisms identify prolonged sedentary gaming as a potential cardiovascular risk amplifier, particularly when combined with occupational sitting, sleep disruption, adiposity, and other cardiometabolic risk factors.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Biochemistry Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38th Gh. Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureş, Romania",
    "Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38th Gh. Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureş, Romania",
    "Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38th Gh. Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureş, Romania",
    "Department of Anatomy and Embryology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureş, 540142 Târgu Mureş, Romania",
    "Center for Advanced Medical and Pharmaceutical Research, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 38th Gh. Marinescu Street, 540139 Târgu Mureş, Romania"
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Amelia Tero-Vescan",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-9704-869X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ruxandra Ștefănescu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3346-3867"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Bianca Eugenia Ősz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mădălina Buț",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3108-5831"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Amalia Pușcaș"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Ylenia Pastorello",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-3833-0184"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Mark Slevin",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3767-4861"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9shk3t717gef9.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/ijms27209365",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704997",
  "id": "9shk3t717gef9",
  "issns": [
    "1422-0067"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9365",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2737|Physical Activity and Health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223412811",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704997?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13704997",
  "pmid": "42942132",
  "published": "2026-10-21",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9shk3t717gef9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:57Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/ijms27209365",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9365"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42942132",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42942132"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2737|Physical Activity and Health",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The Sedentary–Stress Paradox in Esports: Neuroendocrine, Metabolic, and Endothelial Pathways to Cardiovascular Risk",
  "title_text": "The Sedentary–Stress Paradox in Esports: Neuroendocrine, Metabolic, and Endothelial Pathways to Cardiovascular Risk",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9shk3t717gef9",
  "venue": "International Journal of Molecular Sciences",
  "versions": []
}