A new statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) says that sleep duration and sleep disorders may be risk factors for cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease. This is based on a literature review of studies the results of which are published in Circulation.

Dr Marie-Pierre St-Onge (Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York) believes that it is important for cardiologists to ask their patients about their sleep patterns so that they are able to establish a relationship between sleep and cardiovascular disease. She emphasises that sleep should be considered as an important lifestyle risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Dr St-Onge and colleagues conducted a literature review of studies that were related to sleep disorders, sleep duration and cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease. Their analysis shows that people with obstructive sleep apnoea and insomnia are at a higher risk of CVD and cereborvascular diseases as well as metabolic diseases such as obesity, type-2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia.

For the purpose of the analysis, inadequate sleep was defined as sleep that is less than 7 hours a night. It is important to keep in mind that long sleep duration of 9 or more hours a night has been found to be linked to obesity, hypertension and diabetes. The researchers also point out that weight loss from behavioural or surgical interventions could help improve sleep-disordered breathing.

The authors note that cardiologists should not take sleep disorders lightly and should always recommend to patients to obtain at least 7 hours of sleep a night. They do highlight though that there is still a need to determine the optimal sleep time for prevention of chronic disease in healthy adults.

Source: American Heart Association
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Poor Sleep Is a Lifestyle CV Risk Factor: AHA Sleep duration and sleep disorders may be risk factors for cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association