In addition to factors such as diet, exercise and weight can also Sleep a crucial role as a risk factor for and in the prevention of cardiovascular illnesses take. For example, lack of sleep has been shown to damage the heart. Good sleep, on the other hand, is good for the heart.
Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) Added sleep to the heart health checklist, which now has eight items. The list was created to help people think about and improve their lifestyle habits, reports Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in a recent Message.
Heart Health Checklist
So listing Besides sleep, nicotine exposure, physical activity, nutrition, weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure have also been listed for some time.
“Sleep takes its place as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease”says behavior specialist Brooke Aggarwalwho has been studying heart health and sleep for six years at Columbia University Vagelos College School of Medicine.
Her team’s research, which showed poorer sleep in women with health conditions heart health values correlated, was cited as evidence leading to the modification of the AHA checklist.
According to research, more than 80% of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and coronary heart disease (CAD), are related to healthy lifestyle and management of known risks. preventable. The purpose of the checklist is to help everyone keep their heart healthy.
How sleep affects the heart
Sleep is closely linked to other factors that affect cardiovascular health. Poor sleep can indirectly affect the heart by affecting our decisions about nutrition and affect movement.
“Our research shows that poor sleep can lead to increased food cravings and a bias toward less heart-healthy comfort foods high in saturated fat and sugar.”, says Aggarwal. And if you don’t eat well, you don’t sleep well.
The relationship works both ways, and so does physical activityShe adds.
People who don’t get enough sleep are also more likely to develop high blood pressurewhich increases the risk of heart disease.
And lack of sleep increases inflammation. Researchers at Columbia University have shown that even relatively mild sleep problems can cause inflammation of endothelial cells lining veins, which could significantly contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.
Too much sleep can also cause problems, although the reasons here are still undetermined. Current hypothesis is that excessive sleep is not in itself harmful, but people who sleep more than nine hours a night are more likely to suffer from depression or other heart diseases.
“Sleep is easy to measure”said Aggarwal. “And like the other things on the AHA list, it’s something you can change.”
Sleep regularity is also important
According to recent research findings, in addition to sleep quality, -consistency important for heart health. In a study that followed older adults for five years, those with the most irregular sleep patterns were nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those with more regular sleep patterns.
It is not known why the departure from a regular position sleep pattern (with consistent bedtimes and waking times) affects the heart, but irregular sleep can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm. Heart rate, blood pressure and other cardiovascular functions vary with the time of day and can be disrupted by irregular sleep.
“Even falling asleep or waking up 60 minutes of your usual daily schedule could potentially affect the heart over time”according to Aggarwal.
Women suffer more from lack of sleep
Women are at higher risk for poor sleep, in part because they are more likely than men to care for children or sick family members and sleep less due to the added demands on their time, according to the note from the CUIMC.
And women are more prone to it than men. negative effects insufficient sleep, such as inflammation, and are more likely to develop mental disorders that increase the risk of heart disease.
Further research is needed to understand and better treat sleep deprivation and its effects in women, but too few women are currently participating in clinical trials.
Sleeping teenagers become sleeping adults
Insomnia in adolescents often leads to insomnia in adults. More than half of young people enter the school nights not enough sleep.
Studies show that the change in sleep patterns between the ages of 16 and 18 will benefit the overall health of adolescents and that healthy sleep habits will continue into adulthood.
During the the early years Plaque begins to build up in the arteries (it forms when cholesterol gets stuck there, which can restrict blood flow), and poor sleep could potentially speed up this process.
It’s best to intervene early and get to the root cause of sleep problems in children and young adults, Aggarwal says. Consider everyday factors. Many children have a television in their bedroom, which prevents them from sleeping. smartphone in the bedroom are another distraction. And the blue light from all those electronic devices disrupts the production of melatonin, which promotes sleep.
In the current notification, the ideal amount of sleep per day as follows:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children under 5 years old 9-12 hours for children aged 6 to 12 8-10 hours for 13-18 year olds 7-9 hours for adults
Avoid cardiovascular disease
Apparently, only one in five adults meet all eight of the AHA’s checklist recommendations, but Aggarwal says there’s even a benefit to meeting a few: “Think of small things that you can improve mentally and physically and do your best to improve each factor. And persevere every day. healthy habits have a cumulative effect over time. (ad)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of the specialized medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been verified by health professionals.
Important note: This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot substitute a visit to the doctor.
Tech1 year ago
