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Short Sleep Duration Linked to Subclinical Atherosclerosis

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH

Adults who sleep less than 6 hours a night are more likely to have subclinical noncoronary atherosclerosis, according to a cross-sectional study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Nearly 4000 middle-aged Spanish adults without known cardiovascular disease underwent vascular ultrasound to measure femoral and carotid atherosclerosis and cardiac computed tomography to measure coronary artery calcification. They also wore accelerometers for 7 nights to assess their sleep quantity and quality. Adults with obstructive sleep apnea were excluded.

Some 31% of participants averaged between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. Compared with these adults, those who got less than 6 hours of sleep a night were 27% more likely to be in the highest tertile of plaque burden. In addition, greater sleep fragmentation was associated with a higher number of noncoronary territories affected. Sleep measures were not significantly associated with coronary artery calcification.

JACC article (Free abstract)

JACC editorial (Subscription required)

Background: NEJM Journal Watch General Medicine coverage of sleep and heart health (Your NEJM Journal Watch subscription required)

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Benjamin Hidalgo-Matlock
Skin Care Physicians of Costa Rica

Clinica Victoria en San Pedro: 2224-0654
Momentum Escazu: 2101-9574

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