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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.
The research was published in the Journal of 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 is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently badociated with atherosclerosis throughout the body, not just at the heart," explains the professor. and nutritionist Jose Ordovás, researcher at the Carlos III National Center for Cardiovascular Investigations in Madrid and director of nutrition at the USDA Jean Mayer Research Center on Aging Human Nutrition at Tufts University in Mbadachusetts
recalls that previous studies have already shown that lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and promotes risk factors for heart problems – such as changes in blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation and l? obesity.
Considering the traditional risk factors for heart disease, the study showed that those who sleep less than six hours are 27% more likely to atherosclerosis throughout the body than those who sleep for seven to eight hours. 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. . 19659002] "It is important to emphasize this: a shorter sleep, but of good quality, can overcome the harmful effects of its extent," said cardiologist Valentin Fuster, director general of the National Center for Cardiovascular Investigations, Carlos III, and editor "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 monitored the routine of 3,974 Spanish adults, all of whom were 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.
Study 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 based 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 Computed Tomography
According to the researchers, the way participants were determined in this study is the big difference from other sleep research 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 these surveys usually selected people with sleep apnea or other problems.
Other Findings
If sleeping a little can be bad doing too much is not a good habit either. Although the number of participants sleeping more than eight hours was low, the researchers concluded that this behavior would also be badociated with an increase in atherosclerosis, especially in women.
The study also concluded that the consumption of alcohol and caffeine is 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, they can wake up after a short period of sleep and have trouble going back to sleep." When she can, it is often a sleep of bad quality."
is one of those substances that now appear as bad guys and now 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 enters a fascinating phase, helping to begin to understand cardiovascular health," said Fuster
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