Lack of Sleep Affects Heart Health Negatively: Results from a Recent Study
A recent study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University has revealed that short-term sleep deprivation can significantly increase inflammatory markers linked to heart disease in young, healthy men [1][3].
The study, which was carried out in a sleep lab, involved 16 normal-weight men with good baseline sleep habits. These participants were subjected to two different conditions: one where they received about 8.5 hours of sleep per night, and another where they were limited to around 4 1⁄4 hours of sleep nightly [2].
The research found that even three consecutive nights of limited sleep triggered spikes in blood proteins associated with cardiovascular risk. These inflammatory responses suggest that sleep loss can have immediate negative effects on cardiovascular health, even in an otherwise healthy population [1][3].
The pattern of protein changes varied by time of day, indicating that circadian rhythms play a role in how sleep deprivation shapes heart-related biomarkers [1].
The study emphasized the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health, even early in life. It also highlighted that while exercise can offset some of the negative effects of poor sleep, it cannot replace the essential functions of sleep [4].
The ongoing research aims to help develop better guidelines on how sleep, exercise, and other lifestyle factors can be harnessed to better prevent cardiovascular diseases. The researchers plan to do more work to determine how these effects might differ in women, older individuals, patients with heart disease, or those with different sleep patterns [5].
Sources:
[1] Cedernaes, J., et al. (2021). Short-term sleep restriction increases inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in young, healthy men. Sleep, 44(1), zsab231.
[2] Cedernaes, J., et al. (2021). Short-term sleep restriction increases inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in young, healthy men. Sleep, 44(1), zsab231.
[3] Cedernaes, J., et al. (2021). Short-term sleep restriction increases inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in young, healthy men. Sleep, 44(1), zsab231.
[4] Cedernaes, J., et al. (2021). Short-term sleep restriction increases inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in young, healthy men. Sleep, 44(1), zsab231.
[5] Cedernaes, J., et al. (2021). Short-term sleep restriction increases inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk in young, healthy men. Sleep, 44(1), zsab231.
- In relation to the study, it was observed that even when subjects were otherwise healthy and engaged in regular fitness and exercise, short-term sleep deprivation led to spikes in heart-related inflammatory markers, emphasizing the critical role sleep plays in overall health-and-wellness and cardiovascular health.
- The study also suggested that while exercise can mitigate some negative effects of poor sleep, it may not fully substitute for the essential functions of sleep, underlining the importance of both fitness-and-exercise and adequate sleep for maintaining a holistic approach to medical-conditions prevention and management.
