Heart disease's underestimated risk factor identified

Sleep disorders may be a far more dangerous risk factor for the heart than previously believed and require the same level of attention as blood pressure or cholesterol levels. This is the conclusion reached by specialists at Yale School of Medicine.

As reported by BAKU.WS citing the Journal of the American Heart Association, scientists analyzed data from nearly one million American veterans who served after the events of September 11 and identified an alarming pattern. People who simultaneously suffer from insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases than those diagnosed with only one of these disorders. In international medical practice, this combination is known as COMISA (comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea).

According to the study's first author, Associate Professor of Cardiology at Yale University Allison Gaffey, the modern healthcare system remains primarily focused on treating already developed heart diseases. At the same time, as the American expert notes, early and potentially modifiable risk factors, including sleep problems, often remain outside the focus of attention.

Insomnia manifests as difficulty falling asleep and frequent nighttime awakenings, while sleep apnea is accompanied by repeated breathing interruptions. Despite the fact that clinically these conditions are often considered separately, in real practice they frequently coexist. "Treating one disorder and ignoring the other is like bailing water out of a boat without fixing the source of the leak," Gaffey explained figuratively.

Medical professionals emphasize that during proper sleep, the cardiovascular system undergoes a recovery phase — blood pressure decreases, heart rate stabilizes, and blood vessels are given the opportunity to regenerate. With chronic sleep deprivation or regular episodes of apnea, this mechanism is disrupted, which over time can lead to serious consequences.

The study's senior author, sleep medicine specialist Andrey Zinchuk, added that the impact of sleep on the body continues to be underestimated by both patients and part of the medical community. According to him, regular assessment of sleep quality should become as routine a procedure as monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

The study authors are convinced that early diagnosis and timely treatment of sleep disorders can significantly reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications, as confirmed by the data from their large-scale analysis.