You’ve heard the phrase “the early bird gets the worm.” Early birds may also have a lower risk of heart disease, according to new research. A study published in Journal of the American Heart Association “Night owls” or late risers were determined to have a greater risk of heart disease and other negative cardiovascular health outcomes.
Meet the experts: Allen Taylor, MD, a cardiologist and chairman of cardiology at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute; Carleara Weiss, Ph.D., MS, RN, is a sleep scientist, assistant professor at the State University of New York, and sleep educator at Aeroflow Sleep.
Over a period of about 14 years, researchers examined the health data of nearly 323,000 participants, ages 39 to 74, who were predominantly white, male, and free of known heart disease at baseline. They self-reported their sleep patterns and were scored based on their adherence to the American Heart Association’s Life Essentials Eight (LE8) elements for good heart health: balanced diet, physical activity, low nicotine exposure, quality sleep, appropriate body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure measurements. A higher score means better adherence, and a lower score means less adherence.
After an average of 14 years, the researchers identified the prevalence of heart attacks and strokes in the participants and compared the instances with their LE8 scores. Those who were self-proclaimed night owls and those with low scores were most affected by heart attacks, with researchers finding that night owls had a 16% higher risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke than those with “fixed” mornings or those with “moderate sleep preferences”.
Specifically, the researchers identified that the increased risk of heart disease in night owls was primarily driven by poor diet, high nicotine use, poor sleep, infrequent exercise, high body weight, and dysregulated blood sugar.
However, “when these risk factors were statistically accounted for, the increased heart attack risk associated with being a night owl was largely eliminated,” says Allen Taylor, M.D., a cardiologist and chair of cardiology at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute. This means the findings indicate a correlation rather than causation between late sleep and heart health. But sleep is an important pillar.
How sleep affects heart health
Each person’s circadian rhythm is slightly different, but the human brain is influenced by light (or the lack of it) to release the hormones needed to wake and sleep, so most of us feel tired when it’s dark and energized by sunlight. So, resisting such a natural cycle can encourage poor health.
“Sleep supports heart health through physiological changes in heart rate and blood pressure,” says Carlera Weiss, PhD, MS, RN, a sleep scientist, assistant professor at the State University of New York, and sleep educator at Aeroflo Sleep.
“Adequate sleep duration and quality also regulate immune function and hormone levels, and reduce the inflammatory response,” Weiss adds. “Oxygen saturation is another important aspect of sleep, and untreated obstructive sleep apnea has a negative impact on cardiovascular health.” (Sleep apnea is characterized by a lack of oxygen during sleep.)
Sleep also regulates the hormones ghrelin, which signals hunger, and leptin, which signals satiety, she says. Thus, poor sleep can lead to cravings for high-fat and processed foods, leading to weight gain and, therefore, potentially negative cardiovascular health effects.
How to get good sleep
“Behavioral changes are often the first step in adjusting sleep and circadian rhythms,” says Weiss. This may mean changing bedtime or using light therapy when it needs to cue your body to wake up (like a hatch alarm clock). Of course, changing modifiable LE8 factors — such as diet and exercise — can also naturally improve lifestyle and sleep routines, Dr. Taylor comments. It’s all connected.
However, there are special cases, such as night shift workers and people with delayed sleep phase syndrome, for example, who may need the help of a medical provider to ensure quality sleep, Weiss says.
The bottom line
By establishing positive heart health habits (such as sleeping well, eating a nutritious diet, reducing stress, etc.), the risk associated with a night owl’s sleep schedule “can be substantially reduced or eliminated,” Dr. Taylor says. In other words, sticking to heart-healthy habits — including getting good sleep — is more important than ever. when You hit the grass.
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