Lack of sleep can have a negative impact on health, increasing the risk of problems such as fatigue, reduced concentration and memory, and even chronic diseases such as heart disease.
This was confirmed by a recent survey in which one million people in six countries were covered. The study found that sleeping less than seven hours increased the risk of developing high blood pressure by 7 percent, and less than five hours increased that risk by 11 percent.
The findings, presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology in the US, showed that women are at greater risk than men, reports The Mirror.
The study’s lead researcher, Dr Kaveh Hosseini, said: ‘The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to develop high blood pressure in the future. “What we’re seeing is that a lack of good sleep patterns can increase the risk of high blood pressure, which we know can affect heart disease and stroke.”
For the purposes of the study, scientists reviewed data from 1,044,035 people from six countries who did not have high blood pressure at the start of the study.
On average, they were followed for a period of five years. When factors such as heart disease risk, gender, education, smoking and weight were taken into account, the research team found that short sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure.
The National Health Service (NHS) recommends that adults get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night. The researchers said people should talk to their GP or health professionals about their sleep patterns, as conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea are linked to higher rates of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
Dr. Hosseini concluded: “Too little sleep appears to be more risky in women. The difference is statistically significant, although we are not sure if it is clinically significant and needs further study.”
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