As of: March 28, 2024, 11:24 p.m
By: Sophia Lother
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In addition to the common risk factors for high blood pressure, an analysis by researchers has now identified another serious factor.
Frankfurt – According to an analysis, the number of people aged 30 to 79 with high blood pressure has doubled worldwide from 1990 to 2019 – and the trend is rising. Several million deaths every year can be attributed to elevated blood pressure alone. According to the
German High Blood Pressure League,
between 20 and 30 million people in Germany are affected. The worrying thing is that about 30 percent of these people don't know they have high blood pressure. Researchers are now discovering that an everyday mistake can significantly increase the risk of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure still a silent danger: study specifically names risk factor
The risk factors for high blood pressure are diverse. According to
the Robert Koch Institute,
the most important are:
Overweight
Lack of exercise
stress
Unhealthy diet
Increased alcohol consumption
However, what is often unconsciously neglected in everyday life is sleep. And it is precisely here that a risk of high blood pressure is hidden, show researchers who published their analysis results at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
Study on the risk of high blood pressure: This is how important a healthy amount of sleep is
For their analysis, the research team used data from 16 studies that were carried out between January 2000 and May 2023. Over a million people from six countries who had no previous history of high blood pressure were examined.
After the researchers excluded risk factors such as age and smoking behavior, it was shown that short sleep duration is associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure. “The less you sleep — less than seven hours a day — the more likely you are to develop elevated blood pressure in the future,” said Kaveh Hosseini, lead author of the analysis.
High blood pressure affects almost a third of adults in Germany. (Symbolic photo) © Pond5 Images/Imago
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High blood pressure risk and sleep behavior: How much is too little?
Sleeping less than seven hours can increase your risk of high blood pressure by seven percent. If the sleep duration is less than five hours, the risk increases to eleven percent. For comparison, Hosseini states that smoking, for example, increases the risk of high blood pressure by around 20 percent.
However, the studies also have several limitations. For example, sleep duration was based on self-report questionnaires, so changes in this duration during the follow-up period were not assessed. In addition, sleep duration that was too short was assessed differently in the individual studies. While some spoke of less than five hours, the other research teams declared a duration of less than six hours to be a short sleep duration.
Too little sleep not only increases the risk of high blood pressure: researchers warn
Incorrect sleeping habits not only affect the risk of developing high blood pressure. Sleeping less than five hours can also increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, dementia or Parkinson's. This was the result of a joint study by the University of Paris Cité and the University College in London. But how much sleep do people need on average? The
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
has published the following key points:
Old |
Recommended sleep duration per 24 hours |
|---|---|
Infants between four and 12 months |
12 to 16 hours |
Children up to 2 years |
11 to 14 hours |
Children between 3 and 5 years old |
10 to 13 hours |
Children between 6 and 12 years old |
9 to 12 hours |
Young people between 13 and 18 years old |
8 to 10 hours |
Adult |
7 or more hours |
Source: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine |
But there are a number of other positive effects of getting plenty of sleep. This promotes creativity and performance. In addition, what you have learned is better retained in your long-term memory.
The information provided in this article does not replace seeing a doctor. Only professionals can make the correct diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The use of medication or nutritional supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.