Heart and circulatory diseases are one of the biggest causes of death in the world , accounting for about a quarter of all deaths, according to the Express .
Several factors can increase your risk of heart problems, including diet, exercise, and genetics.
However, new research has revealed that going to bed later than usual can also cause cardiovascular disease.
Not getting enough sleep can be harmful to your heart.
Research conducted by Columbia University (USA) has found that not getting enough sleep can be harmful to the heart, and even mild sleep deprivation can be dangerous.
Research team leader, Dr. Sanja Jelic, Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Columbia (USA), said: This is the first evidence that chronic sleep deprivation at a mild level can cause heart disease.
The 12-week study included 35 healthy women who typically got the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
During the first 6 weeks of the study, they maintained a regular sleep schedule. But for the next 6 weeks, they went to bed 1-1.5 hours later than usual. The participants wore sleep trackers so they could track their sleep habits.
Results found that after just six weeks of less sleep, the cells lining the participants' blood vessels were exposed to harmful oxidants.
This is because sleep-deprived cells are unable to activate their antioxidant response to remove harmful molecules. As a result, these sleep-deprived cells become inflamed and dysfunctional – a key precursor to the development of cardiovascular disease, according to Express.
Source link
Comment (0)