Sleeping Less Than Seven Hours May Increase Risk of Heart Disease

A new study explains link between lack of sleep and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Variation in sleep can lead to imbalance and falls.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Numerous studies have shown the association between lack of sleep and the increased risk of heart diseases.

A recent study, published in Journal of Experimental Physiology, has found the reasons behind this link.

Explaining the study, news website TheHealthSite.com reported that chronic short sleep was associated with increased risk of clogged arteries, heart disease, and therefore, increased morbidity and mortality.

The presence of certain microRNA’s, molecules that affect how genes function, were found to be lower in people who slept for lesser than seven hours of sleep. The role of these molecules in determining cardiovascular health makes them an important indicator of heart diseases.

Jamie Hijmans, an author of the study, elaborated,

The link between insufficient sleep and cardiovascular disease may be due to, in part, changes in microRNAs. These findings suggest there may be a “fingerprint” associated with a person`s sleep habits, and that fluctuations in microRNA levels may serve as a warning or guide to disease stage and progression.

The researchers studied twenty‐four adults; 12 with normal nightly sleep duration and 12 with short nightly sleep duration. All subjects were non‐smokers and free of overt cardiovascular disease.