Why sleeping less than 7 hours can lead to heart disease



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Do you sleep enough? Otherwise, it could be a potentially fatal problem.

Decades of research have shown that lack of chronic sleep is associated with increased risk of clogged arteries, heart disease and early mortality. A new study published in the monthly journal Experimental Physiology offers a theory on why lack of sleep increases susceptibility to heart disease.

Adults who regularly sleep less than seven hours a night have lower levels of some "microRNAs", molecules that influence gene function. These molecules play a key role in the regulation of vascular health and can be biological indicators of cardiovascular health.

This relationship between sleep deprivation and these molecules could help doctors determine if a person who does not sleep a full night is also at higher risk of heart disease in the long term and ideally. It could help them take preventative measures and avoid developing a serious illness.

A study published in 2011 in the European Heart Journal analyzed sleep patterns of nearly 475,000 people over the age of 25 and found that people who sleep quickly have an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease or to die from it stroke.

Scientists have stated that a lack of prolonged sleep could lead to calcification of the arteries, hypertension (high blood pressure), release of "C-reactive protein", stress-related and inflammation, as well as increased blood pressure. a reduction in insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.

Too much blood sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes and, according to the National Sleep Foundation, "Too little sleep can increase your appetite and reduce your level of satiety, which makes you crave carbohydrates and get sick." sweet foods". major factor for type 2 diabetes.

It can also have psychological effects.

"The relationship between sleep and mood is complex because a sleep disturbance can lead to emotional changes, clinical depression, or anxiety, but these conditions can also make sleep worse or worse," the National Sleep Foundation added.

Thus, people who are prone to depression and anxiety may also end up sleeping too long.

"If you sleep too little or too often, it is important that you talk to your doctor so that you can review your overall physical and mental health situation," says the foundation.

The researchers in the latest study tested sedentary adults of middle age, without heart disease, in the metropolitan areas surrounding Denver and Boulder, Colorado. They were asked to complete a questionnaire to estimate the average sleep time per night.

Jamie Hijmans, a cardiovascular physiologist in Denver and co-author of the study, said, "These results suggest that there may be a" fingerprint "associated with a person's sleep patterns and that fluctuations in the level of miRNA can serve as a warning or guide for: stage and progression of the disease. "

Research published last year suggests that people should sleep between six and eight hours. Epameinondas Fountas, a registrar specializing in cardiology at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens, Greece, said it was an "ideal point" and the most beneficial for a healthy heart.

President Donald Trump has no more than 40 winks. The President sleeps four to five hours a night. The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said her time was four hours a night, reinforcing her "Iron Lady" image. Some historians have put the doubt.

"A person who sleeps on average less than 6 hours a night has a 10% higher mortality risk than someone who sleeps between 7 and 9 hours," according to a separate study by RAND Health Quarterly.

This risk falls to 4% for a person who sleeps between six and seven hours a day.

The health risks associated with lack of sleep are such that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe this phenomenon as a "public health epidemic".

People who suffer from a lack of prolonged sleep are also more likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer.

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