SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Abstract

In a review article extensively discusses the relationship between sleep duration and cardiovascular diseases. Sleep loss is a common condition in developed countries, with evidence showing that people in Western countries are sleeping on average only 6.8 hour per night, 1.5 hour less than a century ago. Although the effect of sleep deprivation on the human body is not completely unexplained, recent epidemiological studies have revealed relationships between sleep deprivation and arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Increased sympathetic nervous system activity and changes in melatonin secretion are considered as the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease in patients with insufficient duration of nighttime sleep. Adequate sleep duration may be important for preventing cardiovascular diseases in modern society.

Key words: cardiovascular disease, sleep duration, arterial hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, melatonin.