As of: March 28, 2024, 6:03 p.m
By: Sophia Lother
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High blood pressure affects almost a third of adults in Germany. (Symbolic photo) © IMAGO/Robert Poorten
Lack of sleep may increase the risk of high blood pressure, a new analysis suggests. The effects are serious.
Kassel - The number of 30 to 79 year olds suffering from high blood pressure doubled worldwide from 1990 to 2019, a large-scale study showed. And the numbers continue to rise. Every year, several million deaths are caused by elevated blood pressure. According to the German High Blood Pressure League, between 20 and 30 million people in Germany are affected. What's worrying is that about 30 percent of these people don't know they have high blood pressure. Using an analysis, scientists have now found that an everyday mistake can significantly increase the risk of high blood pressure.
Risk factors for high blood pressure: What you should know
Many risk factors for high blood pressure can be influenced. According to
the Robert Koch Institute,
the most important are:
Overweight
Unhealthy diet
stress
Lack of exercise
Increased alcohol consumption
One aspect of daily life that is often unconsciously neglected is sleep. This is exactly where the risk of high blood pressure lies, as scientists show in their analysis results presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
Increased risk of high blood pressure: This is how dangerous it is to sleep too little
The researchers used data from 16 studies conducted between January 2000 and May 2023 for their analysis. Over a million people from six countries who had no history of high blood pressure were examined in detail.
After the scientists ruled out risk factors such as age and smoking habits, they found that short sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure. “The less you sleep – less than seven hours per day – the more likely you are to develop elevated blood pressure in the future,” said lead author Kaveh Hosseini.
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 points out that smoking increases the risk of elevated blood pressure by about 20 percent.
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Editor's note
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.
Preventing high blood pressure and other diseases: How much sleep is healthy?
However, the studies also have several limitations, as the researchers point out. Sleep duration was based on self-reports in questionnaires, so changes in this duration during the observation period were not assessed. In addition, sleep duration that was too short was defined differently in the individual studies. While some study authors spoke of less than five hours, others defined a duration of less than six hours as too short a sleep duration.
Incorrect sleep 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, 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 guidelines:
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 |
Workaholism can also lead to high blood pressure. A Kassel chief doctor explains in an interview what is behind this growing problem.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
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