A new study found that people with insomnia are 69% more likely to have a heart attack than those who do not have a sleep disorder over a nine-year period, SciTechDaily reports.
The study, which was presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in conjunction with the World Congress of Cardiology, also discovered that people who sleep five hours or less per night have the highest risk of having a heart attack.
Link Between Heart Health, Sleep Disorders
The research team claims that the results will help bring attention to the role that sleep disorders may play in cardiovascular health.
Literature that the study cites tells us that an estimated 10% to 30% of American adults suffer from insomnia, with women being more affected than men.
The analysis, which is the largest to date, concluded that people should be better informed about the risks of insufficient sleep and that insomnia should be considered a risk factor for having a heart attack.
The study included 1,184,256 adults of various ethnicities, with a mean age of 52 years and a proportion of 43% females.
Heart attacks occurred in 2,406 participants with insomnia and 12,398 participants without insomnia, as reported by the study.
The data revealed a statistically significant association between insomnia and the occurrence of a heart attack, even after accounting for other risk factors such as age, gender, comorbidities, and smoking.
However, it is important to note that this is an observational study, so it does not prove causation.
Further Findings
The study also discovered that people who sleep 5 hours or less per night have a higher risk of heart attack than those who sleep 6 to 8 hours. Sleeping too much (9 hours or more) carries the same risk as sleeping too little. Interestingly, people who sleep 6 hours have a lower risk of heart attack than those who sleep 9 hours.
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The study also looked at different insomnia symptoms and discovered that having trouble falling or staying asleep increases the risk of heart attack by 13%. However, feeling unrefreshed upon waking up with no difficulty falling or staying asleep does not increase the risk of a heart attack.
The Economic Impact of No Sleep
According to a National Center for Biotechnology Information of the National Library of Medicine study, insufficient sleep has an estimated annual economic impact of over $411 billion in the United States alone.
In the meantime, drowsy driving is one of the most dangerous outcomes of poor sleep. More than 6,000 fatal car accidents are caused by drowsy driving in the United States each year, according to another study. Not only do these accidents result in the devastating loss of life, but they also have a substantial economic impact on society.
Insufficient sleep affects more than just driving safety. People with severe insomnia are more likely to be involved in accidents at work than those who sleep well. This can lead to decreased productivity, increased medical expenses, and even disability claims.
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