Lack of sleep could increase heart attack risks

Sleeping for less than seven hours a night could trigger fatal heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, say scientists.

leeping for less than seven hours a night could trigger fatal heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, say scientists.

Research shows sleeping is as beneficial as not smoking when it comes to heart attacks and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Sleeping for seven hours or more a night can reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks and CVD by up to 24 per cent.

When it is combined with other healthy habits such as taking exercise, a healthy diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking, the risk of heart attacks is reduced by 83 per cent.

It shows sleeping is as important as the four other lifestyle factors and could postpone or even prevent 57 per cent of heart-related fatalities, says a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

A team of researchers in the Netherlands looked at the risk of chronic diseases for 14,000 people in their 20s over a 12-year period.

They found people who practised all four traditional healthy behaviours had a 57 per cent lower risk of CVD and a 67 per cent lower risk of dying from events such as heart attacks.

Getting seven or more hours of sleep a night boosted the overall protective benefit of these behaviours, resulting in a 65 per cent lower risk of CVD and an 83 per cent lower risk of fatal events.

Lead researcher Dr Monique Verschuren, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, told the Daily Mail: "The importance of sleep should now be mentioned as an additional way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Doireann Maddock, of the British Heart Foundation, told the newspaper: "This research shows combining a good night's sleep with other healthy lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of heart disease.

“But troubled sleepers should not be alarmed - this study doesn't mean sleepless nights cause heart disease.”