Researchers from the American College of Cardiology found that people with insomnia had a 69 percent higher risk of having a heart attack, and women had a higher risk. The results of the research have been published magazine clinical cardiology.
Experts reviewed 1226 studies. In total, data from more than 1 million adults, 150,000 of whom suffered from insomnia, were evaluated. Most of the patients (96%) had no history of heart attack. Heart attacks occurred in 2,400 people who were sleep deprived and 12,000 people who were sleep deprived during the study.
People who slept five hours or less a night had the highest risk of heart attack, and people with diabetes and insomnia were twice as likely to have a heart attack.
“Not surprisingly, people with insomnia who had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes had an even higher risk of having a heart attack than those without. People with diabetes who also had insomnia were twice as likely to have a heart attack. It is also important that they are more likely, so the risks for them increase,” he explained.
Trouble falling or staying asleep was associated with a 13% higher chance of having a heart attack compared to people without these symptoms. Those who complained of simply feeling overwhelmed after waking up without any insomnia were not at risk for a heart attack.