Adults with poor sleep habits may be at higher risk for early signs of heart disease, according to a new study.
“We also observed a similar pattern when we measured arterial stiffness,” said Yoosoo Chang, MD, PhD, study co-lead author and associate professor in the Center for Cohort Studies at Kangbuk Samsun Hospital. “Adults with poor sleep quality have stiffer arteries than those who sleep seven hours a day or had good sleep quality. Overall, we saw the lowest levels of vascular disease in adults sleeping seven hours a day and reporting good sleep quality.”
The study’s findings highlight the importance of adequate sleep quantity and quality to maintain cardiovascular health.
“For doctors, it might be necessary to assess patients’ sleep quality when they evaluate the cardiovascular risk and the health status of men and women,” Chan-Won Kim said, MD.
The self-reported assessments of sleep duration and quality in the study may underestimate the cardiovascular risk, researchers said.
