Not getting enough sleep is considered harmful to our health. A new study suggests that people who sleep less than five hours a night have a 74 percent increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared to those who sleep seven to eight hours. When suffering from PAD, the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the arteries of the legs obstructs blood flow, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
The research results have been published in the European Heart Journal. According to researchers, more than 20 million people worldwide suffer from PAD. Our study suggests getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night can reduce the risk of PAD, said study author Shuai Yuan of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. If we do not get enough sleep then we can become victims of heart disease like PAD. The researchers included more than six and a half million participants in their study. They first tracked his sleep schedule and second tested his genetic data. Yuan said the analysis found an association between PAD and poor sleep. However, more studies are needed on the relationship between sleeping more at night, napping during the day, and PAD.
