Lack of Sleep May Lead to High Blood Pressure

Middle-aged people who sleep for less than five hours a night are more likely to develop high blood pressure.

Research shows they face double the risk of getting the condition, compared to those who have the recommended eight hours.

The reason is thought to be that the heart of a person who stays awake has to work harder for longer, causing blood pressure to rise.

If high blood pressure is left untreated, it can lead to serious and potentially fatal problems, including heart attacks ...

The new study, published in the journal Hypertension, looked at almost 5,000 people whose blood pressure was normal.

American researchers noted how much they slept each night, and around a decade later, recorded how many had developed high blood pressure. They found 24 percent of those aged between 32 and 59 who had five hours or less [of] sleep each night had blood pressure problems.

By contrast, just 12 percent of those who had seven or eight hours of sleep each night had the condition.

Lead researcher James E. Gangwisch, from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, said, "Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day. However, people who sleep for only short durations raise their average 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate.

"This may set up the cardiovascular system to operate at an elevated pressure." He said the main message from the study is clear: "A good night's sleep is very important for good health."

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Left untreated, it can lead to serious and potentially fatal problems, including heart attacks."><meta name="language" content="en"><meta http-equiv="content-language" content="en"> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow"><script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/javascript/base2.js"></script><link rel=stylesheet href="/includes/css/seo02.css" TYPE="text/css"></head><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="760" class="bgtablemainborder"><tr><td><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="758" class="bgtablemain"><tr><td colspan="6" align="center"><div style="padding-top: 5px;"></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6" height="10"><spacer type=block width=1 height=10></td></tr><tr valign="top"><td></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2" class="bodynews"><div style="padding-top:1px;"></div><p><span class="hednews">Lack of Sleep May Lead to High Blood Pressure</span><p><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="154"> <tr><td width="8"><spacer type="block" width="8" height="1"></td><td width="146"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="146" bgcolor="fbf6e8"><tr bgcolor="#000000"><td width="12" height="1"><img src="/x.gif" width=12 height=1 alt=""></td><td width="129"><img src="/x.gif" width=129 height=1 alt=""></td><td width="5"><img src="/x.gif" width=5 height=1 alt=""></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" height="50"><img src="/news/articles/images/health/also_hw.gif" border="0" width="146" height="36" alt="Also in This Issue of Health & Wellness"></td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="smallcopy" align="center">•</td><td class="smallcopy"><b>Longevity Linked to Eating Less</b><br> Eating less may prolong life by preventing heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases -- and by slowing aging. <a href="/news/archive/ALT02060410-01.html">go ></a></td><td><spacer type=block width=5 height=1></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" height="20"><spacer type=block width=1 height=1></td></tr><tr bgcolor="#000000"><td colspan="3" height="1"><spacer type=block width=1 height=1></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"> </td></tr></table><span class="bodynews"> Middle-aged people who sleep for less than five hours a night are more likely to develop high blood pressure.<p>Research shows they face double the risk of getting the condition, compared to those who have the recommended eight hours.<p>The reason is thought to be that the heart of a person who stays awake has to work harder for longer, causing blood pressure to rise.<p>If high blood pressure is left untreated, it can lead to serious and potentially fatal problems, including heart attacks ...<p>The new study, published in the journal Hypertension, looked at almost 5,000 people whose blood pressure was normal.<p>American researchers noted how much they slept each night, and around a decade later, recorded how many had developed high blood pressure. They found 24 percent of those aged between 32 and 59 who had five hours or less [of] sleep each night had blood pressure problems.<p>By contrast, just 12 percent of those who had seven or eight hours of sleep each night had the condition.<p>Lead researcher James E. Gangwisch, from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, said, "Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day. However, people who sleep for only short durations raise their average 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate.<p>"This may set up the cardiovascular system to operate at an elevated pressure." He said the main message from the study is clear: "A good night's sleep is very important for good health." <p><a href="http://www.thirdage.com/news/articles/ALT02/06/04/10/ALT02060410-02b.html">Next: People over 60 who sleep less aren't at risk ></a></span><p><br><p><br></td><td rowspan="2"></td><td rowspan="2"><p><br></td><td rowspan="2"> </td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="bgleftcol"><div style="padding-top: 10px;"></div><p><p align="center"></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6" align="center"><div style="padding-top: 10px;"></div></td></tr><tr><td width="134" height="10"><spacer type="block" width="134" height="10"></td><td width="15"><spacer type="block" width="15" height="1"></td><td width="424"><spacer type="block" width="424" height="1"></td><td width="15"><spacer type="block" width="15" height="1"></td><td width="160"><spacer type="block" width="160" height="1"></td><td width="10"><spacer type="block" width="10" height="1"></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p><br><br></div></body></html>

Lack of Sleep May Lead to High Blood Pressure - Health