8-hour Sleep Grows Risk Of Heart Attack
Neurologist Irina Zavalko argues that sleep duration is not a direct cause of heart attacks, suggesting instead that lifestyle factors and underlying health conditions are the primary risks. She notes that forced sleep deprivation for 'night owls' is more dangerous than chronotype alone.
Why it matters
It clarifies common misconceptions about sleep health and cardiovascular disease, emphasizing the role of metabolic and lifestyle factors.
Individual sleep patterns aren't a direct death sentence for the heart, but forced adaptation to social schedules can trigger vascular accidents, according to neurologist and sleep specialist Irina Zavalko, PhD. In a commentary for Pravda.Ru, the expert analysed data on the relationship between bedtime and the risk of myocardial infarction.
Previously, the journal Sleep Health published the results of a study involving over 4,500 people. Scientists suggested that going to bed too early or too late correlates with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.
According to Zavalko, the sample size of 5,000 people for the population study is small, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. The main problem lies not in the chronotype itself (morning or evening), but in sleep deprivation, which often affects "night owls" forced to rise early for work. Furthermore, systematically reducing rest time triggers pathological processes in metabolism and blood vessels.
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