New research shows that healthy sleep habits help reduce the risk of heart failure 

Adults with the healthiest sleep patterns - those who get up in the morning and sleep 7-8 hours a day without frequent insomnia - experienced a 42% reduction in the risk of heart failure compared to those who slept unhealthy.And that remains true regardless of other risk factors, according to a new study published by the American Heart Association in Circulation magazine.More than 26 million people suffer from heart failure, and new evidence suggests that sleep problems may play a role in developing heart failure.

This observation study described a healthy sleep as an early morning rise, a sleep of 7-8 hours a day, lack of frequent insomnia, snoring, or excessive daytime sleepiness.The study included data on 408,802 participants from the UK aged 37 to 73 recruited between 2006 and 2010. Data on heart failure were collected until 2019, with researchers recording 5,221 cases of heart failure during the average observation period of 10 years.

After collecting data with the help of questionnaires on the touch screen, the researchers analyzed the quality and overall sleep mode, including whether the participant was «owl», whether he was unwittingly napping or sleeping during the day.

«Our assessment of healthy sleep was based on an assessment of these five types of sleep behaviors,» said Lou Qi, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Corresponding Author and Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Obesity Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans. «Our results emphasize the importance of improving overall sleep to prevent heart failure».

After adjusting for diabetes, hypertension, drug use, genetic variation and other related factors, participants with the healthiest sleep patterns reduced their risk of heart failure by 42% compared to people with unhealthy sleep patterns.

They also found that the risk of heart failure was:

• 8% lower for early risers;
• 12% lower for those who slept 7-8 hours a day;
• 17% lower for those who have not had frequent insomnia; and
• Thirty-four percent lower for those without daytime sleepiness.

The researchers noted that other immeasurable or unknown adjustments may also have influenced the results, but the strengths of the study include novelty, prospective research design, and large sample size.

Edit This Article