Coronary artery calcification is a buildup of calcium that can predict your cardiovascular risk. Symptoms like chest pain usually do not show up until you have had it for a while.
It is known that sleep is directly linked to the heart. Not getting between 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, and not doing enough to boost the quality of sleep can harm your body in many ways. It can lead to physical, mental and emotional setbacks, doctors warn. They suggest changing the lifestyle by incorporating good habits like ditching smartphones and gadgets at least an hour before bedtime, eating meals well in advance before hitting the bed, staying away from caffeine, and not staying up too late.
And, if you needed another deterrent to change your sleeping habits and switch from being a night owl to an early bird, there is a new science-backed reason. A study has concluded that not getting enough sleep at night has a dangerous impact on the health of the heart, and that it can specifically lead to artery calcification.
According to news-medical.net, the study that has emerged from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden has found a link between the circadian rhythm — body’s 24-hour internal clock that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light — and heart health. It stated that artery calcification is almost twice as common in night owls as compared to early birds.
What is artery calcification?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, coronary artery calcification is a “buildup of calcium” that can predict your cardiovascular risk. Symptoms like chest pain usually do not show up until you have had it for a while. It occurs in the heart’s two main arteries, also called your coronary arteries, after there has been plaque (fat and cholesterol) forming in them (atherosclerosis) for about five years. It can lead to blood clots causing angina, heart attack, or stroke.
News-medical.net mentioned that the study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, involved 771 men and women aged between 50 years and 64 years. Computer Tomography (CT) was used to examine the degree of artery calcification in the heart’s coronary arteries. A five-point scale was used to identify participants based on whether they were ‘extreme morning type’, ‘moderate morning type’, ‘intermediate type’, ‘moderate evening type’, or ‘extreme evening type’.
While 144 participants identified as extreme morning types, 128 were extreme evening types. Among the group most alert in the morning, 22.2 per cent had “pronounced artery calcification”. It was the extreme evening type group that had the highest prevalence of severe coronary artery calcification: a whopping 40.6 per cent.
First author Mio Kobayashi Frisk said in the statement, “Our results indicate that the extreme evening chronotype may be linked not only to poorer cardiovascular health in general but also more specifically to coronary artery calcification and to the process that leads to artery calcification.”
Study author Ding Zou added that circadian rhythm is an “important risk factor for atherosclerosis”. “We interpret our results as indicating that circadian rhythms are more significant early in the disease process. It should, therefore, particularly be considered in the preventive treatment of cardiovascular diseases.”
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Rohit Malhotra is a medical expert and health journalist who offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. His articles aim to help readers lead healthier lives.
