The risk of hypertension is higher in women under 60 who do not get enough sleep…
It’s no secret: insufficient sleep is harmful to your health. After too short a night, there are already immediate consequences such as irritability, reduced attention, problems with alertness and concentration. A lack of sleep that increases and persists over time can lead to greater risks, particularly on the cardiovascular level. In a new study, cardiology researchers showed that insufficient sleep in people under 60 was associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, which we know can pave the way for heart disease, coronary artery disease and to strokes.
Presented on April 7, 2024 during the annual scientific session of theAmerican College of Cardiology, these jobs were based on the results of a dozen studies carried out between January 2000 and May 2023, evaluating the incidence of hypertension in 1,044,035 people (aged between 35 and 60 years with 61% women) without a history of arterial hypertension, over a median follow-up of 5 years (follow-up ranged from 2.4 to 18 years). The researchers revealed that:
► Sleeping less than 7 hours per night was linked to a 7% increased risk of developing high blood pressure
► Sleeping less than 5 hours per night was linked to an 11% increased risk of developing high blood pressure
► In comparison, we know that diabetes and smoking increase the risk of hypertension by at least 20%
“Sleeping too little appears to be riskier in women […] the difference is statistically significant”, insists Professor Kaveh Hosseini, assistant professor of cardiology in Tehran (Iran) and principal investigator of the study. Compared to men, women who report sleeping less than 7 hours per night have a 7% higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Although the study did not examine the reason for this difference in risk, the researchers believe that short nights can impact lifestyle habits and promote overeating, alcohol consumption, taking certain medications, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. According to them, “getting seven to eight hours of sleep, as sleep experts recommend, may benefit your heart“. Ideally, you should sleep even more – between 7.5 and 9 hours per night between the ages of 18 and 64, recall sleep experts, who recommend consulting a doctor in the event of sleep problems.
However, the results of this study have limitations, including the fact that sleep duration was based on self-reported questionnaires. More research is needed to evaluate the association between sleep duration and high blood pressure using more precise methods like polysomnography, a method of assessing sleep quality.