Have you ever thought that not getting enough sleep could be linked to high blood pressure? The study was conducted by researchers led by Dr. Kaveh Hosseini, assistant professor of cardiology from the Tehran Heart Center in Iran, and is scheduled to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Sessions , which will be held in Atlanta from April 6 to 8, 2024. The Science Daily website wrote about the study. The researchers found that sleeping less than 7 hours increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.This risk also increases more for people who get less than 5 hours of sleep per day.
How is the number of hours of sleep related to the risk of high blood pressure?
Researchers have confirmed the existence of a relationship between sleep patterns and high blood pressure, but there is no clear evidence of the nature of this relationship. This study was based on 16 research conducted between the years 2000-2023, where researchers analyzed data from more than one million people from 6 different countries who had no prior history of high blood pressure, and they were followed for an average of 5 years.
Sleeping for short periods has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure when other factors are taken into account, such as age, gender, education, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI).
The researchers found that sleeping for short periods is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, and that this association is stronger for people who sleep less than 5 hours a day.
The risk of developing high blood pressure increases from 7% for people who sleep less than 7 hours a day to 11% for people who sleep less than 5 hours a day.
Factors that may cause high blood pressure:
Hosseini said that interrupted sleep could be the reason behind high blood pressure. He also explained that daily habits such as overeating, night work, and the use of certain medications, as well as anxiety, depression, and sleep apnea can be contributing factors to high blood pressure.
Hosseini also mentioned that there is a relationship between long periods of sleep and an increase in blood pressure, but the percentage of its appearance was not large in the study. He also explained that 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day is the period recommended by sleep experts and is the best for heart health.
There were differences in the results between males and females who slept less than 7 hours a day, as the results showed that females were 7% more likely to suffer from high blood pressure compared to males. “Getting too little sleep may be more dangerous for women,” Hosseini said.
It is important to talk to a doctor about sleep patterns, especially for those who suffer from sleep apnea (sleep apnea), as sleep asphyxia has been linked to high rates of blood pressure, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
High blood pressure disease:
High blood pressure is a condition in which the blood pressure in the blood vessels is so high that it leads to health damage to the body, such as heart disease and clots. It is considered one of the most important health risks on a global level, and it is called the “silent killer,” because the patient may be infected with it for years without knowing it, and it is not discovered until permanent damage has occurred to the body.
Blood pressure depends on the amount of blood pumped by the heart to the body, and the amount of resistance to its flow in the blood vessels. The greater the pumping and the higher the vascular resistance, the higher the blood pressure.
