„Having more than five of these symptoms can lead to a five times higher risk of stroke compared to those without sleep problems,” study author Christine McCarthy of the University of Galway in Ireland said in a statement.
„The findings are consistent with previous research linking unhealthy sleep to high blood pressure and blood vessel damage, which are risk factors for stroke,” said sleep specialist Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. She was not involved in the study.
„Poor sleep can affect the natural drop in blood pressure that occurs during nighttime sleep and can contribute to high blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease,” Zee said via email. “Similar relationships between poor sleep health and disorders such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia have been reported in other population-based research..”
Sleep problems and the risk of stroke
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, analyzed data from more than 4,500 people who participated in INTERSTROKE, a large international study of stroke patients.
Nearly 1,800 study participants had an ischemic stroke, the most common type, in which a blood clot blocks an artery leading to the brain. Another 439 people had an intracerebral hemorrhage in which arteries or veins in the brain ruptured, causing bleeding into the brain tissue.
The study participants were then matched for age and gender with people who had no history of stroke. Both groups answered questions about their sleep quality and behavior, and the two groups were compared.
The results showed that people who slept less than five hours a night, on average, were three times more likely to have a stroke than those who slept seven hours – the recommended minimum for adults.
On the other hand, sleeping more than nine hours a night on average was associated with a twofold increase in the risk of stroke, according to one study finding.
The results held true even after adjusting for other problems that can lead to stroke, including depression, alcohol abuse, smoking and physical inactivity, according to the study.
Sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing several times an hour, was associated with a threefold increase in the risk of stroke, the release said.
„Sleep apnea may alter pathways involved in regulating clotting factors that may increase stroke riskZee said.
Snoring or wheezing, which can both be signs of untreated sleep apnea, were also risky. People who snored were 91% more likely to have had a stroke, while those who snorted were nearly three times more likely to have had a stroke than those who didn’t.
Sleep was also a risk factor, the statement said. People who took an average nap of more than an hour were 88% more likely to have a stroke than those who did not. However, taking a planned nap of less than an hour was not associated with an increased risk of stroke, the study found.
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