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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.
These findings could help doctors determine if a person who does not have a full night's sleep is at a higher risk for potentially fatal heart disease.
Adults who regularly sleep less than 7 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.
Researchers tested sedentary adults of middle age, without heart disease, in the metropolitan areas surrounding Denver and Boulder, Colorado, and asked their subjects to complete a questionnaire allowing them to estimate accurately their average nocturnal sleep. A small amount of blood was also collected.
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. "
"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 worsen or further disrupt sleep," according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Do not miss: 5 ways that lack of sleep can change the course of your life
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.
A person who sleeps on average less than 6 hours per night has a 10% higher mortality risk than a person sleeping between 7 and 9 hours.
Research published last year suggests that people should sleep between 6 and 8 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 4 to 5 hours a night. The late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said her salary was 4 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 published by RAND Health Quarterly. This risk falls to 4% for a person who sleeps between 6 and 7 hours a day.
The health hazards associated with lack of sleep are described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "a public health epidemic". People who suffer from prolonged lack of sleep are also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer.
European Journal of Health
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