Study issues wake-up call over insomnia’s health risks
GETTING a good night’s sleep could prevent seven in 10 cases of heart disease and stroke, according to a landmark study.
Researchers in Paris tracked more than 7000 adults aged over 50, and discovered that those who slept badly were significantly more likely to suffer heart problems.
Participants who slept well were 75% less likely to develop heart disease over the eight-year study period than those who struggled badly with insomnia.
Experts believe that a lack of sleep increases inflammation, blood pressure and stress hormones in the body, causing long-term heart damage.
The research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Barcelona, adds to mounting evidence of a link between sleep and heart disease.
The researchers followed 7203 men and women aged 50 to 75, dividing them into five groups based on how well they slept at night. Each one was given a ‘‘sleep score’’ ranging from zero to 5, based on different sleep habits, including insomnia, sleep duration and sleep apnoea.
Those with the best score, 5, reported sleeping seven to eight hours a night, rarely struggling to nod off, not feeling sleepy during the day, and being a ‘‘morning person’’.
The researchers found that the risk of strokes and heart disease fell by 22% for every onepoint rise in the sleep score. Those scoring 5 had a 75% lower risk of heart disease or stroke over the study period. Only 10 per cent of participants had this score, with 8 per cent on the
lowest scores of zero or 1.
‘‘Our study illustrates the potential for sleeping well to preserve
heart health,’’ said the study’s lead author, Dr Aboubakari Nambiema, from the
French National Institute of Health and Medical Research.
‘‘Given that cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death worldwide, greater awareness is needed on the importance of good sleep for maintaining a healthy heart.
‘‘The low prevalence of good sleepers was expected, given our busy, 24/7 lives. The importance of sleep quality and quantity for heart health should be taught early in life, when healthy behaviours become established.
‘‘Minimising night-time noise and stress at work can both help improve sleep.’’
Poor sleep is linked to higher blood pressure, cholesterol and weight gain. However, scientists are divided over whether poor sleep itself causes heart problems, or if both are signs of underlying factors, including mental wellbeing.