A new study has revealed that "lack of sleep significantly affects the circulatory system and shortens heart lifespan," noting "several factors including interrupted sleep, total sleep time, snoring, and other aspects of rest." Researchers from the universities of Sydney in Australia and Southern Denmark analyzed sleep experiences and cardiovascular medical histories of over 300,000 individuals. The study included clinical sleep disorders such as insomnia and breathing-related disorders, in addition to a range of other sleep-related issues like scheduling, sleep quality, snoring, and daytime drowsiness.
Details of the study were published by "Medical News Today," which took into account the two most common breathing-related sleep disorders: central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. The results showed that breathing-related sleep disorders led to a reduction in a person's heart lifespan by approximately 7 years, specifically a decrease of 7.32 years in heart health for women and 6.73 years for men.
The findings also indicated that individuals with poor sleep experienced an average decline of two years in heart health. Study co-researcher Emmanuel Stamatakis stated, "Sleep is multidimensional and complex," emphasizing that "the results underscored the importance of addressing sleep issues comprehensively, rather than just discussing sleep duration; it should also consider the quality of sleep."
Researchers hope that "the results of the study will encourage cardiologists and other doctors to discuss sleep with patients and work with them to resolve issues that may affect long-term heart health."
