The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released a scientific statement saying that various sleep disorders and sleep patterns could be connected to risk factors for developing cardiovascular health problems.
These sleep variables include breathing irregularities, sleeping too long or too little, insomnia, diabetes, obesity and more. In light of this research, the AHA is seeking further evidence to create a sleep recommendation for sound cardiovascular health.
“We know that short sleep, usually defined as under seven hours per night, overly long sleep, usually defined as more than nine hours per night, and sleep disorders may increase some cardiovascular risk factors, but we don’t know if improving sleep quality reduces those risk factors,” Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, chair of the panel that reviewed the science, said. “Since the scientific evidence doesn’t show a specific dose-response relationship between sleep duration and cardiovascular wellness, the American Heart Association cannot offer specific advice on how much sleep is needed to protect people from cardiovascular disease.”
Sleep variations for several weeks could affect an individual's triglycerides, blood cholesterol, inflammatory markers and more. All of these changes can cause harm to cardiovascular health.
“Patients need to be aware that adequate sleep is important, just as being physically active and eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and fish are important for cardiovascular health,” St-Onge said. “Sleep is another type of ammunition that we can tailor to improve health.”
