Irregular sleeping habits may increase the risk of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, a study has found.
In particular, those with a large sleep time variance also had a high risk of developing atherosclerosis. This disease is caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits called plaque on the walls of arteries. Plaque can narrow an artery, reducing blood flow and the amount of oxygen and other nutrients in the body, or it can form a blood clot that blocks an artery, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
Researchers led by Dr. Kelsey Poole of Vanderbilt University in the United States conducted an observational study to confirm the association between sleep duration and arterial stiffness in more than 2,000 men and women with an average age of 69 years (45 to 84 years) without sleep disorders across the United States.
During the first week, participants wore a wrist device that might detect when they slept and when they were awake, and responded to a questionnaire regarding their sleep status. She was also tested for sleep disorders, and retested four years later.
The results showed that people with more than 2 hours of sleep variance, such as 5 hours on one day and 8 hours on another, had 43% higher coronary calcium levels than those with only 30 minutes of sleep. Higher levels indicate a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
These participants were 12% more likely to have plaque buildup in the carotid (carotid) artery than the other participants, and were nearly twice as likely to have abnormal findings, such as arteriosclerosis or blood clots, in arteries near the ankle.
Regarding this, Dr. Poole said, “Maintaining regular sleep hours not only improves sleep quality, but may also help lower cardiovascular risk in older people.”
The results of the study were published on the 15th in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an international academic journal.
The American Heart Association already added enough sleep to its cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines in June last year. This is because getting enough sleep promotes healing, improves brain function, and lowers the risk of chronic disease. The association recommends that adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Reporter Yoon Tae-hee [email protected]