Absence of Sleep Effects Include Risk Of Hypertension

By Kirsten Whittaker

An important new report that appears in the June eight, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine has revealed that middle-aged adults afflicted with lack of sleep effects are at higher chance of developing high blood pressure.

Hypertension contributes to 7 million deaths around the globe each year. One third of American's are influenced.

In this research, University of Chicago analysts picked up data like blood pressure readings as well as other clinical, demographic and health variables on research participants.

Duration of sleep was measured using surveys and a sensor on the wrist that tracked rest and activity for the 578 partakers, all of an average age of forty. In both 2000-2001 initial measurements were taken, then in 2005 and 2006 blood pressure, demographic and self reported sleep information were measured once again.

The researchers found that people who slept less hours are miles more sure to have higher BP pressure readings than those that slept longer. These sleep-starved adults were also rather more likely to develop high blood pressure over time .

After five years of the research, the team observed that each hour less of sleep was associated with a 37% increase in the percentages of raised blood pressure - both systolic ( top ) and diastolic ( bottom ) numbers were elevated.

The research did not include subjects from the mix who were taking prescription medicine for hypertension. They also used statistics to account for factors that might affect high blood pressure, things like age, sex and race. They saw that black men had higher blood pressures than either white men or ladies.

The mean hours a sleep a night for the participants in the study was six hours.

Only a lucky 1 percent of subjects got more than 8 hours a night. Black men inclined to get the fewest hours of sleep. 'These two observations suggested the fascinating possibility that the well-documented higher blood pressure in African north Americans and men could be in part related to sleep duration,' the study writers conclude.

The team considers that sleep deprivation is affecting the stress response of the body and this may raise the chance of developing hypertension.

Over and above being sure you get enough sleep by practicing good sleep habits, there are other stuff you can do to keep your blood pressure in order.

- Lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. - Eat a heart healthy diet, lots of fruits and vegatables, low total fats and avoid food high in saturated cholesterol and fat. - Cut back your salt intake and be certain to read labels to find the sodium in foods you buy. - Practice moderation in alcohol consumption - not more than two drinks a day for men, 1 drink a day for women. - Get more active - start slowly and build over time, at least half an hour a day of moderately intense activity is your goal. - Stop smoking - if you do try to give up or cut down. - Learn about your BP reading and what you need to know about medication to treat your condition. - If you're prescribed high blood pressure medicine, take it as prescribed.

Regardless of how old you are or what form you are in, you can do something to lower your blood pressure.

This study encourages anyone that's worried about absence of sleep effects on hypertension to ensure they've a regular sleep pattern, as well as taking some of the other steps professionals recommend to keep your blood pressure in order. - 31820

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