HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

A recent study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, has shed light on a significant connection between inadequate sleep and hypertension in women.

The study's authors strongly advise that women experiencing sleep-related issues should consider undergoing screening for high blood pressure and explore strategies to improve their sleep quality.

In the words of the study's authors:

"The difficulty in falling asleep and maintaining sleep usually occurs during the period at night when a drop in blood pressure would be expected, preventing the sleep-time dipping in blood pressure pattern," suggests Dr. Shahab Haghayegh, the study’s lead author and Harvard research fellow and biomedical engineer.

The research focused on a cohort of 66,122 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study 2 (NHS2), spanning ages 25 to 42. At the beginning of the study in 2001, none of the participants had hypertension. Over the course of 16 years, the researchers diligently monitored their blood pressure every two years and identified 25,987 new cases of hypertension.

Taking into account lifestyle and demographic factors, the researchers discovered a clear correlation between insufficient sleep and sleep disturbances with an increased risk of hypertension in women. Specifically:

"Women who slept equal to or less than five hours every 24 hours were 10% more likely to develop hypertension, while women who slept six hours were 7% more likely to develop the condition," the study notes.

In the study, it's important to note that a definitive cause-and-effect relationship was not established. This aspect poses a significant challenge in understanding whether sleep problems lead to hypertension, hypertension causes poor sleep, or if there's a complex interconnection between the two.

Dr. Nicole Weinberg, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in the study, emphasised the complexity of determining the relationship between sleep and hypertension. She posed the question, "What is it, the chicken or the egg? Like, what is the driving force here?" This underscores the intricate nature of this health puzzle.

However, an alternative hypothesis suggests that hypertension may disrupt the 24-hour blood pressure pattern, where blood pressure typically drops during sleep and rises upon awakening. This theory requires further investigation, as Dr. Haghayegh explained:

"I should emphasize that this is purely a hypothesis, and warrants further investigation in future studies."

The study also revealed that women with sleep problems tended to have higher body mass indexes (BMIs), engage in less physical activity, maintain lower-quality diets, and were more likely to smoke, consume alcohol, and be postmenopausal. These factors further complicate the relationship between sleep and hypertension.

In conclusion, Dr. Haghayegh encouraged individuals to monitor their blood pressure vigilantly, as the study clearly highlights the link between poor sleep and hypertension:

"Maintain vigilance in monitoring blood pressure, as our findings clearly demonstrate a substantial association between poor sleep and hypertension."

He stressed the importance of addressing sleep issues, noting that sleep is intricately connected to overall health:

"Sleep is intricately linked to various aspects of health, and this study underscores yet another compelling reason to prioritise a restful night’s sleep."

Source

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/high-blood-pressure-may-be-linked-to-insomnia-sleep-troubles
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21350