Scientific researchers have noticed a marked increase in heart attacks and strokes in the days following the change to daylight saving time each spring.
Scientific researchers have noticed a marked increase in heart attacks and strokes in the days following the change to daylight saving time each spring. However, the American Heart Association, the leading global health organization dedications to fighting heart disease and stroke, says losing sleep anytime can be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“Getting a good night’s sleep every night is vital to cardiovascular health. Adults should aim for an average of 7-9 hours, and babies and kids need more depending on their age.” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and chair of the department of preventive medicine, the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research and professor of preventive medicine, medicine and pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Unfortunately, we know that as many as 1 in 3 people do not get their recommended amount of sleep each night.”
According to Lloyd-Jones, the amount of sleep and quality of sleep are important, and both can have significant impacts on cardiovascular health, as well as overall health. In addition to increasing risk for cardiovascular conditions like heart attack and stroke, lack of sleep may also put people at risk of things like depression, cognitive decline and obesity.
New research in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows maintaining a consistent sleep pattern may play an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that falling asleep at different times or sleeping an inconsistent number of hours each night, even variations of more than two hours a night within the same week, were tied to developing hardened arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
Read more at American Heart Association
Photo Credit: Engin_Akyurt via Pixabay
