Insomnia, a sign of a heart attack?

• April 20, 2024

Heart failure is a slow but progressive process in which the heart is unable to pump the blood necessary to satisfy the body's demands. As a result of this, the person can suffer heart attacks and even death.

However, what originates it? According to an investigation carried out by the University of Norway of Science and Technology and published by the magazine of the American Heart Association , the cause can be found in a frequent sleep disorder: insomnia.

The research suggests that the presence of at least three symptoms of insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and sleeplessness) increases the chances of developing heart failure three times more, unlike those who do not.

The study was composed of 54 thousand men and women between 20 and 89 years old. At the beginning of the analysis, none of the men and women included had known symptoms or evidence of heart failure. The researchers collected data on the participants' sleep.

The participants were monitored for a period of 11 years. During that time period, more than 1,400 people developed heart failure.

The researchers analyzed the data to identify a possible relationship between the incidence of heart failure and insomnia symptoms while controlling for other factors that could influence the risk of heart disease, including age, cholesterol and blood pressure, body mass index, history of heart problems, and alcohol and tobacco consumption.

The result of this revealed that people who suffered from insomnia were more likely to develop heart disease.

Heart diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. So, what do you expect to sleep well?