Tamara Thomas

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Middle-aged women who have poor sleep patterns, including persistent insomnia and short sleep duration, may be at a greater risk of heart diseases like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure in their later life, according to NIA-funded research published in Circulation.
Studies have shown that heart disease is a leading cause of death in women, and about 30% of women die from some form of it. Research has also found that poor sleep quality is linked to a higher risk of developing heart disease. However, it is not well understood how poor sleep is linked to heart disease in later life.
For this study, Dr. Rebecca Thurston at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and colleagues evaluated whether insomnia or sleep duration over midlife is related to heart disease in later life.
The researchers used data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which includes about 3320 pre-menopausal women between the ages of 42 and 52. The researchers collected data about risk factors for heart disease, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and sugar levels. 
Over 22 years, the researchers also repeatedly assessed the sleep habits of SWAN participants, focusing on insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, and early morning wake-ups, as well as overall sleep duration.
The researchers also noted that sleep duration affected the degree of heart disease risk. For example, people with persistently short sleep (about 5 hours) had a marginally higher heart disease risk than those with moderate sleep (about 6 hours). Similarly, the study found that women with persistently high insomnia symptoms had higher heart disease risk than those with low insomnia. 
Overall, the study revealed that persistent insomnia symptoms, either alone or accompanied by short sleep duration, were associated with an increased risk of heart disease in later life. Notably, women with both persistent insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration had the highest risk of heart disease, with a 70% to 75% increased risk.
The researchers conclude, “These findings point to the importance of considering sleep when conducting women’s CVD risk assessment and underscore the importance of chronic exposure to poor sleep for its cardiovascular implications.
Source:<a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/poor-sleep-midlife-may-increase-womens-risk-later-life-cardiovascular-disease-events"> NIA News</a>
Journal:<a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.066491?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org"> Circulation</a>

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People with persistently short sleep (~ 5 hours) had a marginally higher heart disease risk than those with moderate sleep (~6 hours).

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