69% increase in insomnia alone, 200% increase in insomnia + diabetes… women are more at risk
Patients with insomnia have a higher risk of having a heart attack, and those with diabetes also have a doubled risk of heart attack. Among insomniacs, women have been found to have significantly more heart attacks than men.
This is the result of a study conducted by a research team at the Medical School of Alexandria University in Egypt analyzing the data of 1.18 million people and following insomnia patients for an average of about 9 years. The research team systematically reviewed 1,226 papers and intensively analyzed 9 papers containing cases from the US, UK, Norway, Germany, Taiwan and China.
The research team evaluated medical data from 1,184,256 adults (43% female). The average age of the subjects was 52 years. About 13% (153,881) of them were insomnia according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis code. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea were excluded from the analysis. Most of the insomniacs (96%) had never had a heart attack before. Among those who had a heart attack, 2,406 had insomnia and 12,398 without insomnia.
The study found that people with insomnia had a 69% higher risk of having a heart attack compared to those without a sleep disorder. In particular, those who slept five hours or less a night had the highest risk of suffering a heart attack. The risk of heart attack for those who slept less than 5 hours a day was 1.38 times higher than those who slept 6 hours a day, and 1.56 times higher than those who slept 7 to 8 hours. People who had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep for the first time also had a 13% higher risk of heart attack than those who did not.
There was no significant difference in the risk of heart attack between those who slept less than 5 hours a day and those who slept more than 9 hours. Those who slept 6 hours had a slightly lower risk of heart attack than those who slept 9 hours. “Regardless of age, insomniacs are more likely to have a heart attack,” the researchers said. In addition to insomnia, people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and hypercholesterolemia should be particularly careful about heart attacks.
Insomnia is estimated to affect 10 to 30 percent of adults in the United States. Also, more women suffer from insomnia than men. The research team said, “It is very important to get 7-8 hours of sleep a day.” The room you sleep in should be dark, quiet and cool.
The results of this study (Association Between Insomnia and the Incidence of Myocardial Infarction: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis) were published in the online edition of the international journal ≪Clinical Cardiology≫ on March 6 (local time) in New Orleans, USA. It will be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting. This year’s ACC is held in conjunction with the World Heart Association (WCC).
◇ Good sleep food= Cherry, Banana, Almond, Milk Back pain relieves insomnia and helps you get a good night’s sleep, experts say. Studies have shown that melatonin in cherries helps you fall asleep. In addition, the potassium component exports sodium out of the body, and the anthocyanim component relieves pain throughout the body and allows you to sleep for a long time. Cherries are especially good for diabetics. Potassium and magnesium components in bananas relax muscles, and vitamin B6 and tryptophan components promote melatonin production and secretion to help you sleep better. Tryptophan in almonds, magnesium in milk, and magnesium in milk are also good for a good night’s sleep.
