An Early Bedtime May Improve Your Heart Health

A new study shows that going to bed before midnight may be good for your health. You may be less likely to have hardened arteries.

The study involved 251 healthy men. They were all younger than 61 years of age. They had an annual check up to measure their health. They also reported their typical bedtime and sleep duration.

The men were put into three groups based on their self-reported sleep duration: less than six hours, six to seven hours, and seven hours or more. In each of these groups, the men who reported going to bed before midnight had more relaxed arteries.

“We speculate that going to bed late somehow disturbs our habitual, biological sleep patterns,” study author Dr. Yu Misao said in a prepared statement. “We should consider getting our sleep habits as close to what our bodies biologically demand as much as possible.”

Misao noted that “arterial stiffness” is the first sign of hardening of the arteries. Having hardened arteries is also known as “atherosclerosis.”

The NHLBI reports that this form of heart disease occurs when plaque builds up on the inside of the arteries. These blood vessels carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and other parts of the body.

Plaque build-up makes the arteries hard and narrow. This reduces the flow of blood to your organs. A heart attack, stroke or even death can result.

Is Daytime Sleepiness an Excessive Risk for Older Adults?

Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in older adults. But is it anything to be worried about?

A new study from France may raise a few eyebrows. It links EDS in older adults with an increased risk of death.

The study involved 8,269 adults with an average age of 74 years. All of them were living in the community rather than in a nursing home. None of them had dementia when the study began.

At the start of the study almost 19 percent of participants reported having regular or frequent EDS. The study group was followed for six years.

During this time 762 people died. Of these deaths, 196 were caused by heart disease.

Results show that the older adults with EDS had a much worse survival rate. There was a 33 percent increase in their risk of death. There also was a 49 percent increase in their risk of death from heart disease.

So is EDS a symptom of heart disease? The relationship may not be so simple.

The study measured the resting heart rates of participants. Ultrasound also was used to examine the carotid artery of two-thirds of the study group. There were no differences between those with and without EDS.

Does this mean that EDS in some way triggers heart disease? The authors aren’t sure. But they suggest that EDS in older adults may not be as harmless as some might think.

They recommend that doctors should routinely screen older adults for EDS. Those who have EDS then should undergo a sleep study to look for any underlying sleep problems.

Get Sleep Tips for Older Adults from the AASM.

What Disease is the #1 Killer of Women?

Did you guess cancer? You’re close, but wrong. Diabetes? You’re getting colder. The answer: In the U.S. heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Surprised?

Don’t feel bad if you got the answer wrong; you’re not alone. The NHLBI reports that 35 percent of women are unaware that heart disease is the leading killer of women.

February is American Heart Month. So now is the perfect time to think about your own heart health.

Using 2004 data the CDC reports that 27.2 percent of deaths among women are due to heart disease. Cancer comes in second place at 22 percent. Stroke is third at 7.5 percent, and diabetes is seventh at 7.1 percent.

The raw numbers are even more striking. In 2005 heart disease took the lives of 329,250 women – more women than men. Cancer deaths: 268,890 women – including 69,105 due to lung cancer and 41,116 due to breast cancer.

The CDC also reports that heart disease affects large numbers of younger women: It is the third-leading cause of death for women between the ages of 25 and 44.

Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking. You also have a higher risk if you are overweight or obese.

Another risk factor for heart disease that often is overlooked is obstructive sleep apnea. But sleep apnea and snoring are just for men, right? Wrong.

Sleep apnea is common in women; but women are less likely than men to receive medical help for it.

Warning signs for sleep apnea include pauses in breathing, loud and erratic snoring, and gasping for breath during sleep. Women with sleep apnea also are likely to complain of restless sleep, daytime sleepiness, insomnia and even depression.

Are you at risk for sleep apnea? Complete this online questionnaire to find out.

Blood Flow May Explain Link Between Sleep Apnea & Stroke

Research has shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases your risk of stroke. According to the UCLA Stroke Center, OSA is found in almost 50 percent of stroke patients. But the mechanism by which sleep apnea increases stroke risk has been unknown.

A new study may provide an answer. It shows that people with sleep apnea have decreased blood flow velocity in the brain’s arteries. Their brains’ blood vessels also have a lower rate of recovery when blood pressure drops.

These effects may impair the brain’s ability to regulate its blood flow. This may contribute to the increased risk of stroke in people with sleep apnea.

A stroke is a “brain attack” that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. It can result from either a blood clot that blocks an artery or from a broken blood vessel. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. as of 2005.

OSA involves repeated breathing pauses that occur during sleep. It can result in severe changes in blood pressure and oxygen levels.

Research also has linked sleep apnea to health risks such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attack and heart failure. Recent studies even show that sleep apnea increases your risk of death.

The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated. CPAP therapy helps normalize breathing during sleep. A 2005 study shows that CPAP may help protect people with sleep apnea from stroke and heart disease. In effect, regular CPAP use to treat sleep apnea just might save your life.