focusme

Science says get a good night's sleep to avoid heart disease

"...We have to include sleep as one of the weapons we use to fight heart disease -- a factor we are compromising every day," said a researcher.
This is probably the best news for every lazy person out there: People who sleep less than six hours a night may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to those who sleep for seven to eight hours, according to a novel study. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that poor quality sleep increases the risk of atherosclerosis -- a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries throughout the body.
This is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently associated with atherosclerosis throughout the body, not just in the heart, researchers said.
Quality of sleep was defined by how often a person woke during the night, and the frequency of movements during the sleep which reflect the sleep phases. "It is important to realise that shorter sleep duration that is of good quality can overcome the detrimental effects of the shorter length," Researcher said.
The study found that when traditional risk factors for heart disease were considered, participants who slept less than six hours were 27 per cent more likely to have atherosclerosis throughout the body compared with those who slept seven to eight hours. Similarly, those who had a poor quality of sleep were 34 per cent more likely to have atherosclerosis compared with those who had a good quality of sleep.