Your bedtime may increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke

Participants wore an activity meter for seven days to detect their sleep patterns. Each person was awarded a so-called Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) score that assessed the regularity of sleep based on factors such as bedtime, awakening time, sleep duration and nightly awakening.

The score ranged from 0 (very irregular sleep) to 100 (perfectly regular sleep rhythm), where a score below 71.6 was considered irregular sleep.

The researchers followed the participants for eight years to analyze how many developed cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks, stroke and heart failure. It writes the British media The Sun.

The study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has revealed that people with irregular sleep had a higher risk of stroke and heart attack – whether they got enough sleep overall.

After taking into account factors such as caffeine intake and exercise levels, the results showed that irregular sleep habits had a direct effect on the overall health of the heart.

« Research suggests that disturbed sleep is associated with higher levels of a protein called CRP-a sign of inflammation related to cardiovascular disease, » said Emily McGrath, a leading heart nurse at the British Heart Foundation, according to The Sun.

People with irregular sleep were 26 percent more likely to experience a stroke, heart failure or heart attack than those with a regular sleep rhythm. Moderately irregularly sleeping persons, on the other hand, had an 8 percent increased risk.

In general, it is recommended that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 sleep between seven and nine hours per night, while people over the age of 65 should sleep between seven and eight hours.

« Our results suggest that the regularity of sleep may be more important than the total sleep duration compared to reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular disease, » the researchers, including experts from the University of Ottawa, said.

« It is not entirely clear how sleep benefits the heart. However, research shows that disturbed sleep is associated with increased inflammation in the body, » adds Emily McGrath.

« Sleep can also indirectly affect the health of the heart by affecting our lifestyle choices. Studies have shown that inadequate sleep can affect hormones that control appetite, which can increase the urge for sugary foods. Over time, this can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease. »

Several studies are needed to confirm the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular health, but the early results suggest an important connection.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham, which is being supported by the British Heart Foundation, are investigating how sleep problems such as insomnia can lead to atrial fibrillation (of). It is a condition that increases the risk of stroke.

A separate study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that men at high risk of cardiovascular disease can experience cognitive decline up to a decade earlier than women.

The study showed that men with risk factors such as obesity experience impaired brain health from the mid -50s to the mid -70s, while women are typically affected in the 60s to the 70s.

The results support previous research showing that conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and smoking increase the risk of dementia.