A new study published in Menopause, the journal of the Menopause Society, has shown that poor sleep greatly increases the risk of heart problems for women in mid-life, along with nicotine use and high blood pressure.
The prospective study included nearly 3,000 women with a mean age of 46 years old at the start of the study, which began in 1996. Their health data was collected at baseline and throughout the study. In particular, this study focused on the American Heart Associations “Life’s Essential 8,” a list of key components of heart health that includes diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, lipids, glucose, and blood pressure. Additionally, the participants had their health trajectories monitored over time, including cardiovascular events and deaths. The goal of this study was to see how cardiovascular health was related to Life’s Essential 8 as women progressed through midlife.
The results showed that the most important factors in determining the participants’ cardiovascular health trajectories were blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality, and nicotine use. Of those factors, sleep quality was the best predictor of future cardiovascular disease events and death. Lower scores on the list of Life’s Essential 8 were correlated with higher cardiovascular disease risk, but only 21% of the women in the study had ideal scores on all eight components.
The authors of the study noted that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, and increasing scores on Life’s Essential 8 may improve health and longevity in older women. Additionally, getting 7–9 hours of high-quality sleep per night may be the most important thing that older women can do to improve their heart health and longevity, although all of the components of Life’s Essential 8 are important for optimal heart health.
Sources: Menopause, Science Daily