A group of researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health evaluated the American Heart Association’s recently expanded metric — which now includes sleep, as it relates to cardiovascular disease risk.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association provided evidence that sleep plays an important role when it comes to heart health.
“Our results show that sleep health is integral to heart health and that an expanded definition of cardiovascular health that includes sleep is more predictive of future heart disease risk,” says lead study author Nour Makarem, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
The study represents the first examination of adding sleep to the American Heart Association’s original Life’s Simple 7 metrics as a novel 8th metric of cardiovascular health, the study author said.
The new sleep metric suggests 7-9 hours of sleep daily for optimal cardiovascular health for adults — and more hours of sleep for children, depending on their age.
The new sleep metric suggests 7-9 hours of sleep daily for optimal cardiovascular health for adults, and more for children depending on age, according to the American Heart Association’s statement about the revised metrics.
The previous checklist included measures such as nicotine exposure, physical activity, diet, weight, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
The investigators examined cardiovascular health scores that included the original American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) metrics, along with different sleep health measures to determine the sleep parameters that should be a priority for preventing cardiovascular disease.
“Our results highlight the importance of embracing a holistic vision of sleep health.”
Cardiovascular health scores that looked at different dimensions of sleep such as sleep duration, efficiency, sleep regularity, sleep disorders, and daytime sleepiness — as well as cardiovascular health scores that included duration of sleep only as a measure of sleep health — were both predictive of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the researchers found.
“The most important advice when it comes to promoting sleep health is to make sleep a priority.”
The study found that sleeping 7 hours or more but less than 9 hours each night was considered indicative of ideal sleep health.
“Our results demonstrate that sleep is an integral component of CVH. In our study, even a CVH score that includes only sleep duration, the most widely measured aspect of sleep health and the most feasible measure to obtain in a clinic or public health setting, predicted CVD incidence,” said Makarem in the Columbia news release.
“Our results highlight the importance of embracing a holistic vision of sleep health that includes sleep behaviors and highly prevalent, mild sleep problems — rather than strictly focusing on sleep disorders when assessing an individual’s cardiovascular risk.”
“Sleep seems to be the first thing that people squeeze out of their schedules when they are busy. [But] the first step to healthy sleep is making time for sleep …”
Individuals who slept fewer hours had higher chances of having low sleep efficiency (defined as less than 85% time in bed after lights off spent sleeping), the news release explained about the study’s findings.
Also, those with less sleep duration were likely to have irregular sleep patterns — meaning variations in sleep duration and timing — across days.
They were also likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea, the release said.
Multiple unhealthy sleep dimensions may occur — which could further increase the risk of heart disease, a new study has found.
Findings also revealed a higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity/overweight in those considered “short-duration sleepers.”
This suggested that multiple unhealthy sleep dimensions may occur simultaneously and interact — which could further increase the risk for heart disease, the release said.
“Stick to a stable sleep schedule — meaning try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day,” said a new study’s lead author on sleep and heart health.
“The most important advice when it comes to promoting sleep health is to make sleep a priority,” said Makarem.
“Sleep seems to be the first thing that people squeeze out of their schedules when they are busy. However, the first step to healthy sleep is making time for sleep to ensure that you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, the ideal sleep duration for promoting heart health.”
“Better sleep hygiene”
It’s important to practice good sleep hygiene, which means putting yourself in the best position to sleep well by optimizing your sleep schedule, bedtime routine, and sleep environment.
There are a few ways to get better sleep habits, she said.
“Optimize your sleep environment by making your bedroom comfortable, quiet, cool, and dark.”
“Stick to a stable sleep schedule, meaning try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and try to keep the same sleep schedule on weekdays and weekends to avoid disrupting your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm,” she said.
“Use the hour before bedtime to relax and unwind, and optimize your sleep environment by making your bedroom comfortable, quiet, cool, and dark.”
Makarem also suggested getting rid of distractions such as bright light and noise.
“Avoid sources of bright light such as computers, TVs, and phones before bedtime. Also, try to drown out any noise by using earplugs or a white noise machine, and avoid stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine.”
Dr. Marc Siegel says that sleep is a time for the heart and brain to repair.
“Sleep is a rejuvenating time for the heart and brain.”
“When you are sleeping, hormones are released, including oxytocin, that is cardio-protective and promotes heart healing.”
Those who slept less “than the recommended amount were found to have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure,” said one medical professional about the new study out of Columbia University in New York City.
Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, director of Mount Sinai Heart, and Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City said, “People who slept less than the recommended amount were also found to have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, which are well-established risk factors for heart disease as well.”
“Insufficient sleep doesn’t get the respect it deserves as a cardiovascular risk factor.”
The team of Columbia University researchers said in the release that they recommend additional research be conducted regarding the relationship of sleep to a lifetime risk of developing CVD.