Research confirmed poor sleep can shave years off your life A study found
insufficient sleep could increase the risk of heart disease and potentially lead to early death. Researchers from RNSH, the University of Sydney and Southern Denmark University analysed data from over 300,000 middle-aged adults from the UK Biobank and found that poor sleep was linked to compromised cardiovascular health later in life. In particular, men with sleep-related breathing disorders lost nearly seven years of cardiovascular disease-free life compared to those without the conditions. And for women, the impact was even greater with the study showing they lost over seven years. Importantly, the study found that even general poor sleep, such as insomnia, snoring, going to bed late and daytime sleepiness were associated with a loss of around two years of normal heart health in both men and women. This meant that even having trouble staying asleep could be a warning sign of potential health issues in the future. Researchers were able to demonstrate the impact on health outcomes after analysing self- reported patient data combined with clinical data from doctors. The team categorised participants as poor, intermediate and healthy sleepers at age 40, and then compared their health outcomes at old age. Professor Peter Cistulli, Director of the RNSH Sleep
Professor Peter Cistulli
“This research is an important wake-up call that we must not ignore poor sleep patterns. “Sleep is a vital biological function that has been under-appreciated in public health policy to date. “It’s gratifying that these findings shine a light on the importance of sleep, and the need for it to be recognised as a pillar of good health, alongside physical activity and nutrition. “The time is right to ensure that sleep is recognised in public health policy.”
Investigation Laboratory and ResMed Chair of Sleep Medicine at the Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, welcomed the findings and said they highlighted the dangers of long-term poor sleep. "We know that sleep apnoea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, but these findings demonstrate that poor sleep, in general, can pose a significant risk to heart health,” he said. “And compromised heart health
can impact your mortality and potentially reduce your life expectancy.
53 NSLHD 2023 Year in Review
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