This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Insomnia symptoms appear to increase risk for MI, stroke
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Patients with insomnia symptoms have an increased risk for future cardio-cerebral vascular events, including MI and stroke, according to findings published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
“Sleep disorders are common in the general population, and sleep health should be included in clinical risk assessment,” Qiao He, a Master’s degree student at China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan, said in a press release. “Health education is needed to increase public awareness of insomnia symptoms and the potential risks so that people with sleep problems are encouraged to seek help.”
Researchers reviewed data from 15 studies of 23 cohorts (n = 160,867) whose participants were older than 18 years, had at least one self-reported symptom of insomnia at baseline and had outcomes that included incidence or death from cardio-cerebral vascular events such as acute MI, CHD, stroke, HF or combined events. The symptoms of insomnia that researchers focused on were difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early morning awakening and nonrestorative sleep.
Participants who reported difficulty initiating sleep experienced a link to cardio-cerebral vascular events (RR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.4) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 54.9%; P =.001). Using subgroup analysis, researchers found that the risk for cardio-cerebral vascular events in participants from non-European countries was “borderline significant” vs. 1.25 in participants from European countries. Women who reported difficulty initiating sleep had a slightly higher risk for events (RR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.1-1.67) compared with men (RR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.45).
Those who reported difficulty maintaining sleep had an increased risk for cardio-cerebral vascular events compared with those without the symptom (RR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.19) with minor heterogeneity (I2 = 14.4%; P = .278). The subgroup analysis for this symptom of insomnia had similar results to those who reported difficulty initiating sleep, in which women had a slightly higher risk.
Early morning awakening was marginally associated with the risk for cardio-cerebral vascular events (RR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.95-1.1) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%; P = .458).
Participants with nonrestorative sleep saw a higher risk for cardio-cerebral vascular events (RR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.33) with mild heterogeneity (I2 = 38.5%; P =.123). The risk in women who did not feel rested after sleep was higher by 11% (RR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.1–1.48) compared with men with the same symptoms (RR = 1.17; 95% CI, 0.99-1.38).
“It is well known that there are biological differences in genetic and sexual hormones and sex differences in stress and reactions to stress as well, which in turn cause women to be more prone to insomnia, as has been indicated in several studies,” He and colleagues wrote. “However, we cannot absolutely conclude that insomnia is more dangerous for women.” – by Darlene Dobkowski
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts