Sleep Loss Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke Risk

Researchers have discovered new clues to why chronic insomnia can cut short men’s lives. People who sleep poorly or are chronically sleep deprived have elevated inflammation caused by increased hormone production, a recent study reports. Inflamation is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

The study, presented at the American Heart Associate Scientific Sessions, involved 525 middle-aged people. Each subject reported the number of hours they slept per night before they were was screened for chronic sleep deprivation using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey.

After a screening for inflammatory hormones, researchers compared the level of inflammation and sleep quality. Participants who slept fewer than six hours per night and scored poorly on the sleep quality index had higher levels of inflammation. The results were adjusted for external risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The results show there is a relationship between sleep deprivation and heart disease, but it’s not clear if it’s a causal relationship.

Previous studies show people who sleep at least seven hours per night live longer than their peers. People with abnormally short or long sleep durations have a high risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and stress.

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Sleep Apnea Increases Stroke Risk

A new study found that people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea had an increased risk of stroke. This effect was stronger in men than in women.

The study involved 5,422 people who were 40 years of age and older. They had no history of stroke and had never been treated for sleep apnea. Each person’s sleep was monitored during a home sleep test sometime between 1995 and 1998.

Participants were followed for an average of almost nine years. During this study period 193 of them had a stroke.

Results show that the risk of stroke in men rose with the severity of sleep apnea. Men with moderate to severe sleep apnea were nearly three times more likely to have a stroke than men without sleep apnea or with mild sleep apnea.

"Our findings provide compelling evidence that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for stroke, especially in men," lead author Dr. Susan Redline said in a news release. "Overall, the increased risk of stroke in men with sleep apnea is comparable to adding 10 years to a man’s age. Importantly, we found that increased stroke risk in men occurs even with relatively mild levels of sleep apnea."

In women an increased risk of stroke was found only with more severe levels of OSA. The authors noted that men are more likely than women to develop sleep apnea at younger ages. So the more prominent stroke risk in men might be related to having untreated sleep apnea for longer periods of time.

A stroke is a “brain attack” that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. It can result from either a blood clot that blocks an artery or from a broken blood vessel. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Last year a study reported that the effects of a stroke may be more severe in people who have OSA. Another study suggested that blood flow impairments might explain the link between sleep apnea and stroke.

The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated. CPAP therapy is the treatment of choice for all severity levels of OSA.

“The time is right for researchers to study whether treating sleep apnea could prevent or delay stroke in some individuals,” said Dr. Susan B. Shurin. She is the acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The NHLBI funded the study.

Read more about obstructive sleep apnea and CPAP therapy. Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

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How is Your Heart Health?

Last week the American Heart Association published its strategic impact goals for the next decade.

By 2020 the AHA wants Americans to improve their heart health by 20 percent. It also wants to reduce deaths from heart disease and stroke by 20 percent.

Preliminary data indicate that heart disease remained the leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2007. It caused 615,651 deaths.



To reach its 2020 goals the AHA is promoting the “Simple 7” steps to better heart health:

1. Get active
2. Eat better
3. Lose weight
4. Stop smoking
5. Control cholesterol
6. Manage blood pressure
7. Reduce blood sugar

"These seven factors — if you can keep them ideal or control them — end up being the fountain of youth for your heart," Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones told the AP. He is a cardiologist and was the lead author of the AHA statement.

How well are you doing with the Simple 7 steps? To find out you can complete the AHA’s new My Life Check online assessment.

My Life Check will give you a personal “heart score.” It also will give you an action plan to help you improve your heart health.

Improving your “sleep health” also can be good for your heart. It is well known that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for heart disease. A scientific statement published in 2008 urged doctors to pay attention to the link between the two conditions.

The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated. CPAP therapy helps normalize breathing during sleep. And studies show that CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea helps the heart.

Are you at risk for sleep apnea? STOP and find out. You also can answer these questions on SleepEducation.com to learn more about your risk.

Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

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