Scientists from Brigham Medical School in the USA have found a link between insomnia and the risk of developing hypertension in women. Most likely, sleep problems or lack of sleep can affect the process of constriction and expansion of blood vessels and inhibit the function of cells that regulate vascular tone. In this respect reports EurekAlert.
The six-year study included 66,122 women ages 25 to 42 who did not have hypertension. Researchers collected information about participants’ age, race, body mass index (BMI), diet, lifestyle, physical activity, and whether they had relatives with hypertension. Researchers recorded cases of this disease among subjects every two years. The scientists also regularly updated information on participants’ sleep duration and quality.
Research results showed that women who sleep less than seven to eight hours a night have a higher risk of developing hypertension. Women who had trouble falling asleep or woke up several times during the night were also more likely to develop the disease.
The authors noted that sleep deprivation triggers a series of processes that can increase sodium levels in the body, increase arterial stiffness and heart rate, and potentially lead to hypertension. Disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle also affect the elasticity of blood vessels.
The researchers hope to expand their research to include men.
Previously named Sleep disorders associated with increased risk of dementia.