Insomnia is bad for the heart
Key points
- A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems.
- "Over many years, chronic insomnia can have negative effects on the hearts of otherwise healthy individuals," says lead author Paola A.
- The findings are important given that insomnia, which is a chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep, affects up to 48 percent of the population at some point in their lives.
- "Blood pressure cycles are mainly linked to the sleep-wake cycle," says co author Jacques Montplaisir, a professor in the Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and director of Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Disorders Center.
Can't sleep at night? A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems. The investigation, which measured the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal, its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre and the Université Laval.
"Over many years, chronic insomnia can have negative effects on the hearts of otherwise healthy individuals," says lead author Paola A. Lanfranchi, a professor in the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine and researcher at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre. "Whereas blood pressure decreases in regular sleepers and gives their heart a rest, insomnia provokes higher nighttime blood pressure that can cause long-term cardiovascular risks and damage the heart."
The findings are important given that insomnia, which is a chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep, affects up to 48 percent of the population at some point in their lives. As part of the study, the scientific team recruited 13 otherwise healthy chronic insomniacs and 13 good sleepers. Subjects spent 40 hours in the sleep laboratory: two nights for adaptation and one for monitoring followed by the intervening day.
"Blood pressure cycles are mainly linked to the sleep-wake cycle," says co author Jacques Montplaisir, a professor in the Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and director of Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Disorders Center. "Since blood pressure is heightened among insomniacs, those with overt cardiac disease are particularly at risk for progression of the disease."
###
About the Study:
The article "Nighttime Blood Pressure in Normotensive Subjects With Chronic Insomnia: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk," published in Sleep was authored by Paola A. Lanfranchi, Marie-Hélène Pennestri, Lorraine Fradette, Marie Dumont and Jacques Montplaisir of the Université de Montréal and its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, as well as Charles M. Morin of the Université Laval.
Partners in Research:
This study was funded by the Cana¬dian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec and the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec.
On the Web:
About the journal Sleep: http://www.journalsleep.org
About the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine: http://www.med.umontreal.ca
About the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal: http://www.hscm.ca
About the Université Laval: http://www.fc.ulaval.ca
For more information, please contact:
Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
International press attaché
Université de MontréalTelephone: 514-343-7593Email: sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Sleep →
NewsShort sleepers at higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease
People who sleep less than six hours a night may be three times more likely to develop a condition which leads to diabetes and heart disease, according to researchers at the University of Warwick. A study by a team of…
8 September 2010
NewsStudy finds an increased risk of death in men with insomnia and a short sleep duration
A study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found an elevated risk of death in men with a complaint of chronic insomnia and an objectively measured short sleep duration. The results suggest that public health…
2 September 2010
NewsNew study suggests tart cherry juice can be a natural solution for insomnia
Drinking tart cherry juice daily could help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food 1 . A team of University of…
