Longer Sleep Duration Linked to Lower Risk for Coronary Artery Calcification

MAYBE DUE TO LOWER CORTICOSTEROIDS IE INCREASED CORTISOL RELEASE IN SLEEP DEPRIVED PEOPLE
Middle-aged adults who get more sleep each night may face lower risk for coronary artery calcification, according to an observational study in JAMA.


Some 500 adults aged 35 to 47 without calcification were followed for 5 years. During that time, sleep data were collected in two separate years, for six nights total, with use of wrist-activity monitors.


Calcification developed in 12% of the participants during follow-up. After adjustment for confounders such as age, smoking, and other cardiovascular risk factors, the odds of calcification were 34% lower with each additional hour of sleep per night — an effect equivalent to that of a 16.5-mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure, the authors note.


They conclude that whether the association between sleep duration and coronary artery calcification translates into a reduction in coronary disease events remains to be determined.