The way a person sleeps can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by almost 30%, — study

Australian and Canadian scientists have found a close link between irregular sleep patterns and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers analyzed data from 72,269 British people aged 40 to 79 with UK Biobank database which contains medical, genetic, and lifestyle information on half a million people. None of the selected participants had a previous history of serious cardiovascular events.

All participants wore an activity tracker for seven days. Based on the collected data, the researchers calculated a sleep regularity index (SRI) from 0 to 100, taking into account the time of falling asleep and waking up, sleep duration, and the number of nightly awakenings. Participants with SRI scores above 87 were categorized as having regular sleep patterns, and those with scores below 72 — as having irregular sleep patterns. Individuals with scores between these values were included in the moderately irregular sleep group.

Participants were then followed for the next eight years for heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and death from cardiovascular causes. The study showed a 26% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease for the irregular sleep group and an 8% increase for the moderately irregular sleep group.

The calculations that led the researchers to their conclusions took into account a wide range of factors that could potentially affect cardiovascular health, such as smoking, medication use, coffee and alcohol consumption, mental health issues, shift work, and more.

The researchers also looked at sleep duration and compared it to the generally recommended time: 7-9 hours for people aged 18-64 and 7-8 hours for those over 65. Interestingly, even those who slept the recommended number of hours, but at different times, had increased health risks. So, it is important not only to get enough sleep, but also to keep a consistent routine day in and day out.

The study was published in Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Source: New Atlas