Although sleeping well is an essential part of overall well being in body and mind many people fail to place a priority on getting enough sleep at night. The European Society of Cardiology reported, poor sleep is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
According to results from the WHO MONICA study poor sleep is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Professor Valery Gafarov, professor of cardiology at the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in Novosibirsk, Russia, presented research on this at EuroHeartCare. Professor Gafarov commented that about 50 percent of the total mortality among the population is from cardiovascular diseases. Approximately 80 percent of deaths from cardiovascular disease are due to heart attack and stroke.
Clearly we are being confronted with an epidemic of cardiovascular disease. It is therefore important to focus on intensive prevention of risk factors which lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Professor Gafarov points out that sleep disorders are very closely associated with the presence of cardiovascular diseases. In this research the relationship between sleep disturbances and the risk of developing a heart attack or stroke in the long-term was investigated. About 63 percent of participants in this study who had a heart attack also had a sleeping disorder.
Sleeping disorders were found to be associated with greatly increased incidences of both heart attack and stroke. Sleep is not seen as a minor issue. In this study it was found to be associated with double the risk of a heart attack and as much as four times the risk of stroke. It has been said that poor sleep should be considered a risk factor which is modifiable for cardiovascular disease along with lack of exercise, smoking and poor diet. Professor Gafarov says for the majority of people good quality sleep is 7 to 8 hours of rest every night.
The National Sleep Foundation reports that people like all animals need sleep, along with food, water and oxygen, in order to survive. In people sleep is a significant indicator of overall health and well-being. About one-third of our lives is spent asleep and our sleep health is an essential question throughout our entire lifespan. Getting a good night’s sleep should be highlighted as an important component of any healthy lifestyle plan.
