Short night-time sleep linked with nearly doubled risk of clogged leg arteries

Medical Xpress / European Society of Cardiology / European Heart Journal—Open ^ | March 15, 2023 | Shuai Yuan et al

[ConservativeMind]

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a 74% raised likelihood of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with seven to eight hours.

More than 200 million people globally have peripheral artery disease (PAD), where arteries in the legs are clogged, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.

The study included more than 650,000 participants and was conducted in two parts. First, the researchers analyzed the associations of sleep duration and daytime napping with the risk of PAD. In the second part, the investigators used genetic data to perform naturally randomized controlled trials—called Mendelian randomization—to examine causality of the associations.

Taken together, the strongest evidence was for short sleep, where the relationship with PAD went both ways. In an observational analysis of 53,416 adults, sleeping less than five hours a night was associated with a nearly doubled risk of PAD compared with seven to eight hours (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31–2.31).

This finding was supported by further analyses in 156,582 and 452,028 individuals. In the causal studies, short sleep was associated with an increased risk of PAD and, in addition, PAD was associated with an increased likelihood of short sleep. Dr. Yuan said, "The results indicate that brief night-time sleep can raise the chance of developing PAD, and that having PAD increases the risk of getting insufficient sleep."

Regarding long sleep, in an observational analysis of 53,416 adults, sleeping eight hours or more per night was linked with a 24% higher risk of PAD compared with seven to eight hours (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.08–1.43). This finding was supported by analyses in two larger populations of 156,582 and 452,028 individuals.

[ConservativeMind]

Shoot for seven to eight hours of nighttime sleep.

[ConservativeMind]

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[BipolarBob]

I picked a bad week to give up Valium.

[Sacajaweau]

Linked to some good programs in the middle of the night...like Mannix..

[Dan in Wichita]

Alot of people like to brag about how they only need 3-4 hours of sleep nightly, while disparaging others who seek a good 8 hours.

I used to know a braggart like this, but he's now deceased. (at age 50-something)

[Wilderness Conservative]

That’s a relief. I thought the vax was what was clogging arteries. s/

[Bob434]

It seems counterintuitive. The body at rest would seem to allow plaque to build up easier as it’s not rushing through the veins as fast and/or as forceful as when a person is active. But likely something else must be happening during sleep that helps to prevent buildup better?

[moovova]

I get enough good exercise overnight to keep those nasty old clogged leg arteries at bay...getting up 5-6 times a night to pee.

[Grampa Dave]

“A lot of people like to brag about how they only need 3-4 hours of sleep nightly, while disparaging others who seek a good 8 hours.

“used to know a braggart like this, but he’s now deceased. (at age 50-something).”

---

I knew a few people from my high school class and in college, who bragged about only needing about 4 hours sleep.

Zero of them, made it much past age 60.

My wife saw similar results with other students in her high school class and classes in her RN school.

[Laslo Fripp]

BFL

[ConservativeMind]

That embolization option appears to keep everything in place and reduces all-over size issues, as opposed to hot water and other urinary procedures that only touch the physical portion of the expanded prostate that touches urine.

We are all left with all the rest of the overgrown prostate, just minus the immediate symptoms. All the real problem is still there, unless having an operation to resect it, all over, or to remove it.

[moovova]

Yep. The urologist and I have discussed my “situation” and the alternatives don’t sound appetizing. FloMax is helping. I’m down to 2-3 times a night. Not over-consuming liquids too late in the evening also helps. LOL

[wildbill]

Great idea. I get it. My bladder doesn’t.

[MayflowerMadam]

I go from 4 hours to 8 hours — no consistency. Have had a DVT in my thigh for about ten years. I wish I could sleep longer — must find a way to turn off my brain at night.

[Veto!]

I’m 86 and my arteries are fine. Of course, I usually get 9 - 10 hours sleep at night. Have my phone set to “silence” calls before 9:30 a.m.. It’s 10 here now, and I’m just having coffee. Yawn

[LibertarianLiz]

I go from 4 hours to 8 hours — no consistency. Have had a DVT in my thigh for about ten years. I wish I could sleep longer — must find a way to turn off my brain at night

Boy, do I relate to your post. Not being able to sleep is the bane of my existence. My brain just does not turn off. I have gone for days, really. The longest I have gone without being able to sleep has been 3 days. At that point, I think I was just so exhausted that I finally did fall asleep.

When I do fall asleep, I usually wake up at around 3:00 am, then I try to fall asleep again, with varying success.

I also had a DVT in my calf a few years back. My doctor prescribed a drug that, basically, melted the dvt away. It worked.