Sleep fragmentation associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.June 5, 2020

Sleep disorders and clogged arteries at night tend to creep on us as we age. Both disorders may seem unrelated, but a new study at the University of California, Berkeley helps explain why they are in fact pathologically intertwined.

What sleep scientists at the University of California, Berkeley reveal about fragmented nighttime sleep that leads to the accumulation of fatty arterial plaques known as atherosclerosis, which can cause fatal heart disease. started.

“We have found that sleep fragmentation is associated with a unique pathway-chronic circulation inflammation throughout the bloodstream-which is associated with an increased amount of coronary plaque.”

Research by senior author Matthew Walker, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley.

Findings published in the journal on June 4th PLOS biologyAdds sleep deprivation as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, ranked as the top killer in Americans, killing around 12,000 people each week-an average of 1,000 during a pandemic during a pandemic. COVID-19 USA, who has killed a person approaches.

“To our knowledge, these data are the first to correlate human sleep fragmentation, inflammation, and atherosclerosis,” says Principal Investigator, Walker Sleep Research Center at UC Berkeley. Researcher Raphael Vallat says.

Established risk factors for human cardiovascular disease include poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking.

Using statistical modeling, researchers analyzed diagnostic data for more than 1,600 middle-aged and older adults, using a national dataset known as the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis ..

To isolate the impact of sleep quality on heart health, the study controlled high-risk behaviors such as age, ethnicity, gender, body mass index, sleep disorders, blood pressure, and smoking.

The researchers then tracked the results of the study participants, blood tests, a calcium score that could measure plaque accumulation, and a variety of sleeps, including a week’s worth of sleep assessed on a watch and a night in a sleep lab. The measured values ​​were analyzed. The electroencephalogram signals were measured.

The end result clearly linked the disruption of sleep patterns to high levels of circulating inflammatory factors, especially white blood cells known as monocytes and neutrophils, which are the major players in atherosclerosis.

“By clarifying this link to chronic inflammation, the findings suggest a missing mediator that mediates the bad deal between fragmented sleep and vascular stiffness,” Walker said. Said.

“Surely, these human-relevant results reflect recent data that ly manipulated sleep disorders in mice to increase levels of circulating inflammation that causes atherosclerosis in rodents. “Added Vallat.

The link between sleep deprivation and atherosclerosis via chronic inflammation has a major impact on public health, researchers say.

For example, atherosclerosis often begins in early adulthood. “Unfortunately, this process goes almost unnoticed until plaque builds up in middle or old age and suddenly interrupts arterial blood flow to the heart, lungs, brain, and/or other organs. That is why it is called the “silent killer” of its fame.

“Due to the insidious nature of the illness, we need to be mindful of our sleep hygiene, even in the early to middle ages,” said Research Co-author, a PhD student at Walker’s lab. Vyoma Shah said.

To more accurately measure sleep quality, researchers recommend using clinical-grade sleep tracking. Research has shown that subjective assessments of sleep in people are unreliable.

“When you track sleep patterns using objective measurements, you can change your sleep habits in the same way you track weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, which is a noticeable difference in your health outcomes in later life. Could result in,” said Shah.

Chronic inflammation is becoming the bridge between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular disease, and it is worth exploring its role in many other diseases where inflammation is known to be a possible factor Said the others.

“This link between fragmented sleep and chronic inflammation may not be limited to heart disease, but may include mental health and neurological disorders such as major depression and Alzheimer’s disease Walker said. “These are new paths we must explore now.”

In addition to the co-authors of this study, Walker, Varat, and Shah, there is Susan Redline from Harvard Medical School and Peter Attia, the founder of Attia Medical, a medical practice focused on longevity science. ..

Tips for improving sleep quality

1. Sleep regularly, sleep every day, and wake up at the same time.

2. As part of your nightly cold routine, keep your computer, smartphone, or TV screen blank for the last hour before bed and keep your phone or other digital device out of your bedroom.

3. Do some exercise during the day.

4. Especially the first half of the day is exposed to natural light.

5. At a later date, avoid stimulants such as caffeine and sedatives such as alcohol.

6. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and relax away from your bedroom, such as reading in the dim light. Only sleep when you are sleepy.

7. If you have severe snoring or are overly tired during the day, get a screen for sleep apnea.

8. If you are experiencing insomnia, talk to your doctor and ask about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI).