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A new French scientific study, presented at the international conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona, shows that people who sleep well are less at risk of heart attack or stroke.
According to the study nine out of ten people do not sleep enough, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists estimate that seven out of ten cardiovascular events could be prevented if people slept well.
The importance of quality sleep should be recognized from an early age
“The importance of the quality and quantity of sleep for heart health should be realized early on, when healthy behaviors are formed. Minimizing nighttime noise and work-related stress can contribute to improved sleep,” said lead researcher Dr. Abubakarri Nabiemah of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Paris.
The study included 7 200 people aged 50 to 75 (average age 62 years, 62 % men) without cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. Each of them was rated from 0 to 5 based on the quality and quantity of sleep.
An ideal score of 5 (only 10 % of people had it) was considered to be seven to eight hours of sleep at night, no or very rare insomnia, no sleepiness the next morning, and early morning awakening.
Good sleep protects against heart attack and stroke
Almost the same proportion (8 %) of those who had the worst sleep achieved a zero score. The cardiovascular status of each person was monitored every two years over a total of ten years, during which 274 people developed ischemic heart disease or stroke.
It was found that cardiovascular risk decreases by 22 % with each point increase in sleep quantity and quality. Compared with people who scored 0 or 1 for sleep, the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with a rating of 5 was 75 % lower. It is estimated that if all study participants had excellent sleep (5), 72 % of new cases of ischemic heart disease and stroke could be prevented each year.
Most people have trouble sleeping
Dr. Nabiemah said: “Our study shows that quality sleep can help maintain heart health and that better sleep is associated with a lower risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke. We also found that the vast majority of people have problems with sleep.
Given that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, more attention needs to be drawn to the importance of quality sleep for maintaining a healthy heart.”
Source: newsitamea.gr
