A study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has revealed a strong link between our sleep habits and heart health.
Published in the journal Sleep Medicine, the research found that people who stay up late, commonly known as ‘night owls,’ are almost twice as likely to have calcified arteries compared to early risers or ‘early birds’. This calcification can lead to serious cardiovascular diseases.
The condition in question, atherosclerosis, involves the buildup of fatty deposits inside the arteries, which can eventually lead to life-threatening blood clots, heart attacks, or strokes.
This disease develops slowly over time and often goes unnoticed until these serious health events occur.
This study focused on how our body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, might influence the early stages of heart disease, specifically the calcification of arteries.
It involved 771 men and women aged between 50 and 64, who are part of the larger SCAPIS population study.
The researchers used computer tomography to examine the level of calcification in the participants’ coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.
Participants were asked to identify their “chronotype” – essentially whether they are an early bird, a night owl, or somewhere in between – on a five-point scale.
Surprisingly, 40.6% of extreme night owls had severe artery calcification, the highest among all groups. In contrast, only 22.2% of extreme early birds had this issue, the lowest proportion in the study.
Mio Kobayashi Frisk, the first author of the study, points out that being an extreme night owl could be linked not just to poor cardiovascular health in general but also specifically to artery calcification.
To ensure a comprehensive analysis, the researchers considered various factors that might affect the risk of atherosclerosis, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight, physical activity, stress, sleep quality, and smoking habits.
Ding Zou, the study’s last author, emphasized the importance of circadian rhythm as a risk factor for atherosclerosis.
According to Zou, these findings suggest that our internal biological clocks play a significant role, especially in the early stages of the disease, and should be considered in preventive treatments for heart diseases.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
The research findings can be found in Sleep Medicine.
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