Insomnia – difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep was associated wit ha 69% greater risk of having a myocardial infarction , than among adults without insomnia , new research suggests.
Those who slept 5 hours or less had the highest risk for M.I and those with diabetes and insomnia had double the risk for M.I compared to those without these .
The findings are from a meta analyses of studies in more than a million patients who on average were in their early 50 ‘s and followed for 9 years.
Researchers conclude that insomnia should be screened in patients and educated about the importance of sleep
The study does not allow any conclusion that treating insomnia would reduce heart attack risk .
However the analysis points to the growing evidence that poor quality or insufficient sleep is associated with poor health .
The study reinforces the recommendation from the American Heart Association which includes get healthy sleep as one of life’s essential 8 for heart health .
