Being a poor sleeper is an unrecognised cause of heart disease—and it could even triple your risk.
People whose sleep quality is the poorest—they sleep only spasmodically and lightly, for instance—are also the most likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, say researchers from the University of South Florida.
They assessed the sleep quality of 6,820 people with an average age of 53 who reported on the quality, duration and frequency of their sleep patterns. For each one of the poor sleep qualities they reported, their risk of heart disease rose by around 54 percent.
The risk for heart disease was greater in the men, the researchers found, even though more of the women reported sleep problems.
Knowing the cumulative effect heart disease risk, people should be advised on how to improve their sleep quality, the researchers say.
(Source: Scientific Reports, 2022; 12: article 2023)
