Sleep Loss Increases Cardiovascular Risk
Sleep is good for restoring your energy, but it's also good for protecting your heart.
They should, however. New research from Uppsala University in Sweden shows a lack of sleep is tied to a rise in biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease.
by Staff Reports
There are many factors that can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease but not many would consider sleep deprivation one of them. They should, however. New research from Uppsala University in Sweden shows a lack of sleep is tied to a rise in biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease.
Chronic lack of sleep is a public health concern and other studies have linked it to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and atrial fibrillation. This study showed that even just a few nights of insufficient sleep was enough to increase the molecular characteristics tied to heart problems.
"Unfortunately, nearly half of all Swedes regularly experience disturbed sleep, and this is particularly common among shift workers," said researcher Jonathan Cedernaes. "That is why we wanted to try to identify mechanisms that affect how lack of sleep can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, the purpose was to identify opportunities to address these problems."
The study authors said heart health is influenced by many lifestyle factors such as sleep, diet and exercise. They tried to control as many conditions as possible to ensure the trial results were reliable.
Researchers recruited 16 healthy young male study subjects in the normal weight range with healthy sleep habits. They all spent two sessions in the controlled environment of a sleep laboratory where their meals and activity were strictly dictated.
Participants in one session were able to get a normal amount of sleep for three consecutive nights. During the other session their sleep was limited to about four hours each night. Both sessions had the participants give blood samples in the morning and evening and then again after a high-intensity, 30-minute exercise session.
The blood tests measured the levels of 90 different proteins and many of the levels associated with increased inflammation rose when the study participants were sleep-deprived. Many of those proteins have already been linked through other research to an increased risk of heart failure and coronary artery disease.
"Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases," Cedernaes said. "That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation. This means that it's important to emphasize the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life."
While exercise after a lack of sleep generated slightly different results, a number of key proteins increased equally regardless of the person's sleep condition.
"It's important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause," Cedernaes said. "But it's also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep."