March 1, 2023 – People with insomnia – a sleep problem that makes it difficult to go to sleep or stay asleep – and people who slept only just a few hours an evening had the next risk of heart attack than others, a recent study shows.
In particular, individuals with insomnia had a 69 percent higher risk of getting a heart attack than people without insomnia.
And those that slept 5 hours or less per night had a 59 percent higher risk of heart attack than those that slept 7 to eight hours per night. But 9 hours or more of sleep seemed to be just as dangerous.
These findings come from an evaluation that pooled the outcomes of nine small studies in several countries. In total, greater than one million adults with a median age of fifty were included, just about all of whom had not suffered a previous heart attack.
The study examined the number of latest heart attacks in these patients on average over the following nine years.
“Many people consciously sleep less and do not value sleep and proper sleep hygiene,” says study creator Yomna E. Dean, a medical student at Alexandria University in Egypt.
What they might not realize, nonetheless, is that a healthy lifestyle includes getting the proper amount of sleep (not too little and never an excessive amount of) and reduces the danger of heart attack.
This study highlights the importance of adequate sleep for heart health and shows that insomnia is related to the next risk of heart attack in people aged 65 and under, in addition to within the elderly.
Women with insomnia have the next risk of heart attack than other women, and it's barely higher than the increased risk in men brought on by insomnia.
In individuals with hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes, the danger of heart attack was higher in those with insomnia than in those without insomnia.
People who had difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep – two symptoms of insomnia – had a 13 percent higher risk of heart attack than people without these difficulties.
However, individuals who got enough sleep but didn't get up feeling rested the following morning and felt drained throughout the day – which is common – didn't have the next risk of heart attack in comparison with other people.
The people answered questionnaires to point their sleep habits and whether or not they had a medical condition comparable to diabetes that may lead to errors, says Dr. Jennifer L. Martin, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who was not involved on this study.
Nevertheless, this evaluation is “further evidence that sleep deprivation or sleep quality is associated with poor health,” she says.
It reminds folks that getting enough sleep (not too little or an excessive amount of) is vital.
The American Heart Association includes “Ensure healthy sleep” as one of “The essence of life 8“ for heart health and provides recommendations on how one can accomplish that.
“Good sleep is key to heart health. If you suffer from insomnia, get help,” advises Martin. “Start with a doctor you trust and ask for a referral to a sleep medicine specialist or sleep psychologist.”
“Most people with insomnia need more than basic tips for healthy sleep and benefit greatly from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I),” she says. “This treatment is a brief psychotherapy (usually 4-8 sessions) that is recommended as a first-line treatment for insomnia disorders.”
Patients can go to sleepeducation.org to search out an accredited sleep center near you, or go to behavioralsleep.org Finding a provider trained in delivering CBT-I, notes Martin.
The study was published online on 25 February in Clinical cardiology. The study can be scheduled to be presented on the American College of Cardiology/World Congress of Cardiology 2023 Scientific Session on March 6.