Irregular sleeping patterns linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
by Zasha Whiteway-Wilkinson, AARON TINNEY, Rhi Storer · ChronicleLiveExperts are ringing alarm bells over the health consequences of irregular sleep patterns, cautioning that even a full eight hours of nightly rest isn't enough if those hours are inconsistent. In a significant research initiative involving over 72,000 individuals, Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput from the University of Ottawa, Canada, conveyed the findings: "Our results suggest that sleep regularity may be more relevant than sufficient sleep duration in modulating major adverse cardiovascular event risk."
He went on to stress the importance of this discovery for both public health and clinical practice, saying, "Findings from this study suggest that more attention needs to be paid to sleep regularity in public health guidelines and clinical practice due to its potential role in cardiovascular health."
The Daily Star reported on the research, which underlined a substantial correlation between irregular sleeping habits and elevated chances of heart issues.
Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, also drew attention to the relationship between sleep disruption and cardiac well-being, indicating, "It is not clear exactly how sleep benefits the heart but research suggests that disturbed sleep is associated with higher levels of a protein called CRP."
She explained that an increase in CRP, a marker for inflammation, is linked to heart and circulatory diseases. Moreover, McGrath pointed out the broader impact of sleep on health, stating, "Sleep can also have an indirect impact on heart health, by affecting our lifestyle choices.", reports Surrey Live.
Crucially, this study examined data from 72,269 participants aged 40 to 79 years old, who were part of the extensive UK Biobank study.
A study focusing on heart health and sleep patterns has made some concerning findings. The research monitored individuals without a history of serious heart-related incidents, providing them with an activity tracker to monitor their rest for seven days.
This allowed researchers to calculate a Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) score for each participant, which ranged from 0 – signalling "very irregular" sleep – to 100, marking a "perfectly regular sleep-wake pattern". Over the course of eight years, the participants' health outcomes were tracked, with a particular focus on heart-related conditions such as cardiac arrest, heart failure, or stroke, and how these correlated with their sleep patterns.
Astonishingly, after adjusting for various factors including coffee intake and levels of physical activity, those with irregular sleep were found to have a 26 per cent higher chance of suffering a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke compared to those whose sleep patterns were consistent. Similarly, those with moderately irregular sleep encountered an 8 per cent increased risk for such serious health events.
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