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Cleveland researchers say they have shown lack of sleep increases risk of blood pressure in teens
By Harlan Spector
Plain Dealer
Published on Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
Sleep-deprived adolescents risk more than daytime drowsiness. They might be priming their hearts for disease in adulthood.
Cleveland researchers say they have shown for the first time that lack of sleep increases risk of high blood pressure in healthy teens. The researchers said part of the problem is iPods, cell phones and computers are cutting into teens' sleep time.
The findings involved 238 Cleveland-area kids, ages 13 to 16, who are part of an ongoing, federally sponsored study of sleep and health at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
Researchers analyzed sleep logs and data from wrist-watch-like devices containing microprocessors that measure night-time movements. They found risk of high blood pressure was two to three times higher among kids who slept under 6.5 hours, and those who had poor sleep quality.
''It was actually poor-quality sleep — the time in bed actually asleep — that was most strongly associated with high blood pressure, rather than short sleep duration,'' said Dr. Susan Redline, a Case Western Reserve University professor and director of the UH sleep center.
Inadequate length of sleep also increased risk, but not as much as poor sleep quality.
The problem was worst among poor and minority kids, which researchers said is a concern because those groups already have elevated risk of cardiovascular problems.
Excluded from the study were teens with sleep apnea, a breathing disturbance linked to a number of ills.
Sleep specialists said primary-care doctors should view the results as more reason to ask about sleep habits as part of overall health assessment.
''It's equally important as diet and exercise,'' said Dr. Daniel Glaze, director of the sleep center at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
Glaze said the new study is significant because most research on the health effects of poor sleep pertains to adults.
Sleep-deprived adolescents risk more than daytime drowsiness. They might be priming their hearts for disease in adulthood.
Get the full article here.
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