Lack of sleep heightens risk of stroke, says research
Getting less than six hours sleep a night can increase the risk of stroke in middle age, new research from the US has indicated.
A three-year study involving more than 5,000 participants found that people who regularly slept for fewer than six hours were significantly more likely to suffer stroke symptoms.
This was shown to be the case even in people of a healthy weight and with no family history of stroke.
Each participant in the study was aged 45 or older, with lead researcher Dr Megan Ruiter of the University of Alabama suggesting there is a need for greater awareness of poor sleep as a stroke risk factor.
Presenting the findings at a conference in Boston, she said: "These results may serve as a preliminary basis for using sleep treatments to prevent the development of stroke."
Last year, a study by researchers at the University of Warwick linked a lack of sleep to several serious health conditions, including stroke and heart disease.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
