Bad sleep ups blood pressure risk

15:12, 30 August 2011

LONDON. August 30. KAZINFORM Elderly men who spend little time in deep sleep could be at risk of developing high blood pressure, according to US scientists. A study on 784 patients, in the journal Hypertension, showed those getting the least deep sleep were at 83% greater risk than those getting the most.

According to BBC News, researchers say they would expect a similar effect in women.

The British Heart Foundation said it was important for everyone to prioritise sleep.

High blood pressure - also known as hypertension - increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems.

Researchers measured the "sleep quality" of 784 men over the age of 65 between 2007 and 2009. At the start none had hypertension, while 243 had the condition by the end of the study.

The patients were split into groups based on the percentage of time asleep spent in deep, or slow wave, sleep. Those in the lowest group - 4% deep sleep - had a 1.83-fold increased risk of hypertension compared with those in the highest group, who spent 17% of the night in deep sleep.

For full version go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14681570

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