Irregular Sleep and cardiovascular disease

020420  02mar2020

Older adults with irregular sleep patterns—meaning they have no

     regular bedtime and

     wakeup schedule,

or they get different amounts of sleep each night—

     are nearly twice as likely to develop

cardiovascular disease

as those with more regular sleep patterns,

according to a new study funded in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

The five-year study suggests that an irregular sleep pattern may be a novel and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and that

maintaining regular sleep patterns

     could help prevent heart disease just as

physical activity,

a healthy diet,

and other lifestyle measures do, the researchers said.

"Research has linked irregular sleep schedules to a constellation of disease-causing abnormalities in body function, including changes in

blood sugar and

inflammation,"

said Michael Twery, Ph.D., director of the NHLBI's National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.

"This study is Important because it is among the largest of its kind, and it specifically associates these irregular sleep patterns with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease."

...

The researchers said they are still unclear about the exact biological mechanisms behind the sleep irregularity and CVD link, but they suspect that multiple factors, including

harmful disturbances in the body's circadian rhythm

     —the 24-hour internal body clock which controls the sleep-wake cycle—

may be in play.

Recent studies by the same researchers linked

irregular sleep patterns to

     harmful metabolic changes associated with

     obesity,

     diabetes, and

     high cholesterol,

         and they suspect similar processes might also influence 

     CVD risk.

...

In future studies, the researchers said they will look for

     blood biomarkers

         that may help explain the apparent link.

Larger studies with longer follow-up will also be important to confirm these findings.

A better understanding of the root causes could lead to new interventions that could help people better regulate their sleep patterns, such as

     wearing devices or

     using specialized mobile apps

         designed to reduce irregular sleep,

             the researchers said.

Medicinal interventions also may be possible, they noted.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-irregular-cardiovascular-events.html