A new study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology suggests that poor sleep quality may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Researchers believe that inadequate sleep was associated with heightened levels of calcium in the coronary arteries and arterial stiffness.
“Inadequate sleep is a common problem and a likely source of poor health, including visible signs of disease, such as heart attack” reports co-lead author Dr. Chan-Won Kim.
We’ve discussed how poor sleep can lead to a heightened risk of mental disease later in life, but this study further emphasizes the importance of sleep quality. To better understand how sleep affected heart health, researchers analyzed sleep data and heart health data of nearly 50,000 young and middle-aged adults. After looking at average sleep duration and arterial stiffness, researchers uncovered:
- Participants who slept 5 or fewer hours a day had 50 percent more coronary artery calcium than participants who got at least 7 hours of sleep.
- Participants who slept 9 or more hours a day had more than 70 percent more coronary artery calcium than those who slept 7 hours a day.
- People who reported poor quality of sleep had 30 percent more coronary artery calcium than those who reported good quality sleep.
Ultimately, researchers concluded than 7-8 hours of quality sleep was optimal for continued heart health.
“Overall, we saw the lowest levels of vascular disease in adults sleeping 7 hours a day and reporting good sleep quality,” said Dr. Kim.
The team of doctors suggest that there are several mechanisms that could lead to this increased risk of heart disease. First, they believe that poor sleep could contribute to elevated blood pressure and impaired glucose metabolism. Research also indicates that not sleeping long enough can increase a person’s risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can contribute to poor cardiovascular health.
Dr. Silverman comments
Sleep isn’t always easy to come by, yet here’s more research speaking to its importance. There are days when it’s simply impossible to carve out 7-8 peaceful hours of sleep, but try to work it in when you can.
As we’ve said on the blog before, keep the TV out of the bedroom, and put away your electronic devices. Watching an hour of Netflix or playing on your tablet into the wee hours of the night hinders your sleep quality. Do right by your heart and get regular restful sleep.