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A study published Monday (14) may cause even more sleep for those who sleep a little. According to the researchers, people who sleep less than six hours a night are at increased risk of atherosclerosis – an accumulation of plaques in the arteries of the body – compared to those who sleep normally, seven to eight hours a day. night
Research was published in the Journal from the American College of Cardiology. Chronic and progressive vascular disease, usually occurring in adults and the elderly, atherosclerosis is an inflammation of the innermost layer of the arteries, also called intimal tunic – the part that is in direct contact with the blood. This inflammation results from the accumulation and oxidation of lipoproteins in the arterial walls.
"This is the first study showing that objectively measured sleep is independently badociated with atherosclerosis throughout the body, not just at the heart," says professor and nutritionist Jose Ordovás, researcher at National Center for Cardiovascular Research Carlos III. de Madrid and Director of Nutrition at the Jean Mayer USDA Aging Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Mbadachusetts.
He recalled that previous studies had shown that lack of sleep increased the risk of cardiovascular disease and favored risk factors for heart problems – such as changes in blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation and l & # 39; obesity.
Considered as traditional risk factors for heart disease, the study showed that people who sleep less than six hours are 27% more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis in their body than those who sleep from seven to eight o'clock. And those who sleep poorly are 34% more likely to get the disease than those who sleep well – the study badessed the quality of sleep by considering how often the person woke up at night and how often she slept while she slept. .
"It is important to note this: a shorter sleep, but of good quality, can overcome the adverse effects of its extent," said cardiologist Valentin Fuster, director general of the National Center for Cardiovascular Investigation, Carlos III , and editor. head of the journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day we do two things: eat and sleep, we have known for many years the relationship between good nutrition and cardiovascular health, but we know less about the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular health." , adds Ordovás. .
Methodology
The researchers followed the routine of 3,974 Spanish adults, all employed in the same banking institution, that is, with similar professional routines. Cardiologist Fuster performed imaging tests to detect the prevalence and rate of progression of vascular lesions.
have poor sleep are 34% more likely to have atherosclerosis compared to those who sleep well
Photo Credit: Getty Images / BBC News Brazil
Research participants had an average age of 46 years and had never been diagnosed with heart problems. Two-thirds were men. All used a device to continuously monitor activities and movements for seven days. This device measured their sleep routine in an objective and accurate manner – unlike surveys that rely on declarative questionnaires.
They were divided into four groups: those who slept less than six hours, those who slept six to seven hours, those who slept seven to eight hours, and those who slept more than eight hours. All participants performed a cardiac checkup: 3D cardiac ultrasound and cardiac CT.
According to the researchers, the way participants were determined in this study is the big difference compared to other research on sleep and heart health. First, by the size of the sample, larger than usual. Another interesting feature is the fact that this study focused on an initially healthy population, while such surveys usually select people with sleep apnea or other problems.
Other Findings
If sleeping too little can be bad, exaggerating is not a good habit either. Although the number of participants sleeping more than eight hours is low, the researchers concluded that this behavior would also be badociated with an increase in atherosclerosis, especially in women.
According to some experts, sleeping more than 8 hours a night can also be harmful
The study also concluded that the consumption of alcohol and caffeine was related to poor sleep quality. "Many people think that alcohol is a good inducer of sleep, but there is an effect to take into account," says Ordovás. "If a person drinks alcohol, she can wake up after a short period of sleep and have difficulty falling asleep." When she can, it usually involves a bad sleep quality."
Coffee, for its part, is one of those substances that now look like bad guys and are sometimes beneficial to health. According to Ordovás, although some research shows that alcohol consumption can have positive effects on the heart, it all depends on how the person metabolizes it. "Depending on the genetics, if you metabolize the coffee faster, it will not affect your sleep," he says. "But if you metabolize it slowly, caffeine can affect sleep and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease."
"Medicine is entering a fascinating phase, and if we try to understand cardiovascular disease, studies like this help us understand cardiovascular health," says Fuster.
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