Insomnia may be a silent threat to your health, particularly if you're under 50 years old, as it has been linked to an increased risk of stroke. A recent nine-year study conducted by Wendemi Sawadogo, an epidemiologist and researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, followed over 31,000 people with no history of stroke and found a significant association between insomnia and stroke risk.
The study revealed that those with five to eight symptoms of insomnia had a 51% increased risk of stroke compared to those without insomnia, while those with one to four symptoms had a 16% increased risk. In April, another study reported that people who slept less than five hours a night were three times more likely to have a stroke than those who got seven hours of sleep. Sleeping more than nine hours increased stroke risk twofold, while sleep apnea was associated with a threefold increase in stroke risk. Snoring increased the risk by 91%, snorting by almost three times, and napping for over an hour increased stroke risk by 88%.
Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, explains that poor sleep can disrupt the body's ability to regulate metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation, all risk factors for stroke. Good sleep hygiene, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can reduce the negative impact of sleep disorders and decrease stroke and cardiovascular disease risk.
The link between insomnia and stroke risk is stronger in participants under 50, with nearly four times the risk of having a stroke. The findings were published in the journal Neurology. The research involved over 31,000 participants with an average age of 61 and no history of stroke, followed for an average of nine years. Participants were asked about their sleep quality, with scores ranging from zero to eight (higher numbers indicating more severe symptoms).
Researchers adjusted for factors affecting stroke risk, such as alcohol use, smoking, and physical activity level. Of the 2,101 cases of stroke, 1,300 had one to four symptoms, 436 had five to eight symptoms, and 365 had no symptoms. Participants under 50 with five to eight symptoms had nearly four times the risk of stroke compared to those with no symptoms, while people aged 50 or older with the same number of symptoms had a 38% increased risk of stroke compared to those without symptoms.
The association was greater for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression. Managing insomnia symptoms at a younger age may be an effective strategy for stroke prevention. Future research should explore stroke risk reduction through management of sleeping problems.
The INTERSTROKE study, an international case-control study of patients with first acute stroke and matched controls, also found sleep disturbance symptoms associated with increased odds of acute stroke. Sleep disturbance symptoms may be a marker of increased individual risk or represent independent risk factors. Sleep interventions in stroke prevention need further investigation in clinical trials.
In conclusion, taking steps to improve your sleep hygiene, maintain a healthy diet, and exercise regularly can help reduce the risk of stroke and other serious medical conditions. Don't let insomnia steal your sleep and your health – take action today!
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