Sleep disruption in seemingly healthy people is associated with increased clotting of the blood, which has previously been shown to predict cardiovascular disease, found researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

“In previous work, we have found that sleep disruption was linked to pro-coagulant (i.e, pro-clotting) activity in patients with sleep apnea, and in patients facing harrowing long-term stress. Now, we have seen the same pattern of findings even in healthy normal subjects,” said Joel E. Dimsdale, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD.

 

“Sleep disruption needs to be taken seriously,” said Dimsdale. “It is known that certain forms of sleep disruption such as obstructive sleep apnea convey extensive cardiovascular risk. We now know that sleep disruption is a potential factor in heart disease even in the average person.” 

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