New Delhi: A recent study from Uppsala University in Sweden has found that sleeping poorly for just three consecutive nights may significantly increase the risk of developing heart disease. The research highlights how even short-term sleep deprivation can trigger biological changes linked to inflammation—one of the key drivers of cardiovascular problems.
Researchers focused on healthy young men with no previous medical conditions or elevated cardiovascular risk. The findings underscore that the impact of poor sleep on heart health is not limited to older adults or those already at risk.
“Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases. That is why it was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased in the same way in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation,” said Jonathan Cedernaes, physician at Uppsala University. “This means that it’s important to emphasize the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life,” he added.
In the study, 16 healthy young men of normal weight and consistent sleep habits were observed in a sleep laboratory under tightly controlled conditions. Each participant completed two sessions—one with three nights of normal sleep and another with only about four hours of sleep per night.
Blood samples were collected both in the morning and evening during each session. Participants also underwent 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise. Analysis of nearly 90 proteins in the blood revealed that many proteins associated with inflammation significantly increased following sleep deprivation.
Several of these proteins have previously been linked to cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and coronary artery disease. Interestingly, exercise still triggered a positive protein response, regardless of sleep duration. However, previous studies by the same team have shown that exercising while sleep-deprived may place additional strain on the heart’s muscle cells.
Researchers noted the need for further studies to examine how these effects vary in women, older adults, or those with pre-existing health conditions or irregular sleep patterns.
