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Health
Too little sleep, or too much, linked to risk of heart disease
Update: 28/09/2016
The risk may go up when people get too little sleep, or too\r\nmuch, according to a statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).
\r\n\r\n“We do not know the optimal amount of sleep needed to minimize\r\nthe risk of heart disease,†but people who get less than seven hours a night or\r\nmore than nine hours may be more at risk than their peers who fall somewhere in\r\nthe middle of that range, said lead statement author Dr. Marie St-Onge of\r\nColumbia University in New York City, in an email.
\r\n\r\nPrevious research suggests that sleep irregularities can\r\nincrease people’s risks for a variety of cardiovascular disorders, such as\r\nclogged or hardened arteries, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and\r\nstroke, as well as metabolic problems such as high cholesterol, obesity and\r\ndiabetes that all contribute to cardiovascular disease.
\r\n\r\nThere is certainly a vicious cycle that may be going on with\r\nsleep and chronic diseases,†St-Onge added. “Bad sleep can increase the risk of\r\nobesity which then increases the risk of sleep disorders.â€
\r\n\r\nMuch of the scientific research about sleep and heart health\r\nfocuses on insomnia.
\r\n\r\nPeople are diagnosed with insomnia when they have difficulty\r\nfalling or staying asleep for at least three nights a week for three or more\r\nmonths.
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Often, these sleep issues are tied to two other health problems:\r\ndiabetes and obesity. Some studies have found sleep can influence what people\r\neat and impact their risk of obesity, for example.
\r\n\r\nBut more research is needed to see how sleep influences weight\r\nover long periods of time, according to the AHA statement.
\r\n\r\nLonger studies might also help explain how sleep variations\r\ninfluence cholesterol levels, diabetes, blood pressure or other risk factors\r\nfor cardiovascular disease.
\r\n\r\nIt’s also unclear whether treating sleep disorders could lower\r\nthe risk of cardiovascular disease.
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The problem is that chronic diseases, like cardiovascular\r\ndisease, develop gradually,†said Kristen Knutson, a researcher at the\r\nUniversity of Chicago who wasn’t involved in the AHA statement.
\r\n\r\n“So it’s possible that someone could be on the path toward\r\nhypertension or heart disease and not know it because it’s early in the\r\nprocess,†Knutson added by email.
\r\n\r\nStill, if poor sleep can speed the development of risk factors\r\nfor cardiovascular disease, it makes sense for people to seek help for sleep\r\nirregularities sooner rather than later.
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“My suggestion for patients is if they don’t feel they are\r\nsleeping well, they should raise the issue with their doctor themselves; don’t\r\nwait for your doctor to ask you about your sleep,†Knutson said.
\r\n\r\nAbout 50 to 70 million U.S. adults regularly don’t get enough\r\nsleep or suffer from a sleep disorder, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood\r\nInstitute estimates.
\r\n\r\nIt’s a problem that’s been getting worse over time. For example,\r\nin 2009, about 29 percent of adults reported getting not enough sleep, compared\r\nwith about 22 percent in 1977.
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The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research\r\nSociety recently advised that adults get at least seven hours of sleep nightly\r\nto promote overall health.
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“Sleeping too short and even more important - sleeping outside\r\nthe time provided by the body clock - can support metabolic diseases and weight\r\ngain, which can lead to more creating difficulties, which lead to bad sleep\r\nsending you back into the loop,†Roenneberg, who wasn’t involved in the AHA\r\nstatement, added by email.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2cDLUF5Circulation, online\r\nSeptember 19, 2016.
Lisa Rapaport- Reuters