Less than six hours sleep per night may increase heart disease risk, study says

People who sleep less than six hours a night might have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who sleep seven to eight hours, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

According to UPI, the study published on Jan. 14 found that chronic lack of sleep or poor sleep quality were associated with increased chances of atherosclerosis, a condition where fatty plaque accumulates in the arteries which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

For the study, lead researcher Jose Ordovas from the National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Madrid and his team tracked around 4,000 Spanish adults using coronary ultrasound and CT scans to monitor artery health.

Participants did not have a prior history of heart disease at the start of the study and had an average age of 46.

Researchers was unable to prove cause and effect, but they found people who slept less than six hours a night were 27 percent more likely to have body-wide atherosclerosis than those who slept seven to eight hours a night.

The study also found that women who slept more than eight hours a night had an increased chance of atherosclerosis.

Adults with poor-quality sleep were also 34 percent more likely to have atherosclerosis, compared to individuals with good-quality sleep. (Next Animation via Reuters)