Fwd: Daily News - Thursday, January 30, 2003

[Guest guest]

No more sleeping in late ladies - huh as if we get that chance LOL.

 

Marianne

 

 

> Daily News from Healthypages

> Thursday, January 30, 2003

> _______________________________

>

> Too much sleep “can damage women’s healthâ€

>

> US researchers say women who sleep too much or too little may have an

> increased risk of heart disease and are encouraging people to make sure

> they get the right amount.

>

> A study carried out by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Massachusetts,

> found that woman who sleep for eight hours a night have the lowest recorded

> rate of coronary heart disease.

>

> However, the research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found

> that nine women who slept for longer – nine hours or more – had increased

> risk of heart disease. These women, who slept on average 9-11 hours, were

> 38 per cent more likely to suffer from heart disease than women who slept

> for eight hours.

>

> The results also showed that women who slept five hours or less a night had

> a 30 per cent increased risk of coronary artery disease than those who

> slept for eight hours, and women who had six hours’ sleep had an 18 per

> cent greater risk.

>

> “There have been several studies examining the impact of short-duration

> sleep deprivation; however, our research is one of the first to hypothesise

> that sustained reduced sleep duration as well as excess could negatively

> impact a woman’s cardiovascular health,†said researcher Dr Najib Ayas.

>

> The 10-year study examined the sleeping patterns, health and lifestyle of

> more than 70,000 women – 934 of whom were found to suffer from coronary

> heart disease.

>

> Dr Ayas said the research sent an important message to a population that is

> spending more and more time working and staying up late watching television

> or using the Internet. “Adequate daily sleep should not be considered a

> luxury, but an important component of a healthy lifestyle,†he added.

>

> Further investigation is needed to find out why there is this link between

> increased sleep duration and heart disease.

>

> Belinda Linden, head of medical information at the British Heart

> Foundation, said, “Past studies suggest that chronic lack of sleep could

> contribute to a number of physical complaints including depression, high

> blood pressure, gastro-intestinal complaints, diabetes and chronic heart

> disease.

>

> “While the major risk factors of coronary heart disease remain high blood

> pressure, raised blood cholesterol, inactivity and smoking, we need to

> remain aware of the influence that a good (but not too good!) night’s sleep

> can have on our general health.â€

>

>