Are you an insomniac? Do you constantly lose sleep for a variety of reasons? Do you worry so much that you can't sleep? Your condition may cause you to worry even more, as a new study has shown that adults under age 40 who suffer from sleep deprivation are eight times more likely to have a stroke compared with those who don't have any sleeping problems.

The study, which has been done in Taiwan over the course of four years, looked at individuals with insomnia and the researchers have found that the condition seemed to be linked with stroke-related hospitalizations by 54 percent. Those insomniacs aged between 18 and 34, however, were eight times more likely to suffer a stroke compared with those who regularly had a good night's sleep.

The participants whose health records were studied were categorized into four kinds of insomnia: those with difficulty starting and staying asleep; those suffering from sleep difficulties for up to six months; those with relapse insomnia; and those in remission from a diagnosed case of insomnia.

The study, published in Stroke, followed the randomly selected health records of more than 21,000 insomniacs and about 63,000 individuals without sleep problems. Of the total number of health records, none showed a previous diagnosis of stroke or sleep apnea.

After four years, a follow-up was done on the original health records, and the findings showed that 583 of the individuals who had difficulty sleeping have been hospitalized due to a stroke, while 962 of the non-insomniacs have been admitted to hospitals for stroke-related reasons. However, after accounting for other factors, the insomniacs still emerged as the ones with the highest stroke risk, compared with those who did not suffer from any sleeping problems. People aged over 65 suffered the majority of strokes. The researchers also found that diabetes increased the risk of stroke in those with insomnia.

The link between stroke and insomnia remains unclear to doctors, but researchers suspect that the conditions surrounding insomnia may be weakening cardiovascular health due to systematic inflammation, impaired glucose tolerance, increased blood pressure or sympathetic hyperactivity. Lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking and stress may also be a factor in proving a stronger linkage.

"We feel strongly that individuals with chronic insomnia, particularly younger persons, see their physician to have stroke risk factors assessed and, when indicated, treated appropriately," said lead author Dr. Ya-Wen Hsu, who is an assistant professor at Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science and also at the Department of Medical Research at Chi-Mei Medical Center in Taiwan. "Our findings also highlight the clinical importance of screening for insomnia at younger ages. Treating insomnia is also very important, whether by medication or cognitive therapy."