If you are suffering from chronic insomnia, it might be a good time to see your doctor for help. Canadian researchers report that insomnia contributes to elevated blood pressure at night, which over time can damage the heart and circulatory system. Researchers in Montreal compared the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers.
"Whereas blood pressure decreases in regular sleepers and gives their heart a rest, insomnia provokes higher nighttime blood pressure that can cause long-term cardiovascular risks and damage the heart," says Paula LaFranchi Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine and researcher at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre. The researchers caution that since blood pressure is elevated among people with insomnia, those with overt cardiac disease are particularly at risk for progression of the disease." The study appears in the current issue of the journal Sleep.
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