Date: November 26, 2024

Quality of Sleep Affects Heart And Plaque Formation In Arteries?

Sleep forms the basis of all human health, but its importance is usually not a primary discussion point when discussing a healthy cardiovascular system. Sleep quality affects many lifestyle components, such as your heart and arteries. New scientific studies have discovered an association between sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea, and plaque buildup in arteries. It could lead to severe cardiovascular disease conditions that call for life-saving interventions like heart transplants. How does this quality of sleep affect plaque growth inside the arteries? Why is that important for those at risk of heart disease?

Science Explains Plaque Build-up and Sleep Quality

Plaque build-up is called atherosclerosis. Fatty deposits are layered on the inner walls of arteries, forming plaque. With time, this plaque develops into a hardened form, narrowing arteries and restricting blood flow. Thus, if these plaques remain unmonitored, they can cause heart attacks, strokes, and other life-threatening conditions. However, most people must learn that poor sleep can boost this process. Poor sleep patterns, either too little sleep or broken or erratic sleep, perpetuate inflammation in the body.

The formation of plaques in arteries requires inflammation processes. An individual suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea, the condition characterised by a repeated interruption of breathing during sleep, is much more likely to develop plaque buildup since their level of inflammation and oxidative stress would be heightened because of the intermittent hypoxia and subsequent hardening of arteries allowing for cardiovascular events. If one is already suffering from or at risk of a cardiovascular condition, then understanding the relationship between sleep and plaque buildup is of extreme importance. If neglected, it can lead to heart stroke or maybe even heart failure, which may later require a heart transplant. Transplant India is a transplant organisation that helps create awareness of this unknown risk factor. The understanding becomes all the more pivotal when access to proper health care or financial resources is a far-fetched scenario.

Sleep Apnoea

Diagnosed or not, sleep apnoea significantly increases the risk of arterial plaque formation. A person with obstructive sleep apnoea will experience episodes wherein they stop breathing intermittently during the night, leading the body to become oxygen-starved. Such recurrent oxygen starvation initiates a cascade of stress responses in the body, including releasing stress-related hormones such as cortisol, causing inflammation. Inflammation promotes the acceleration of plaque buildup within the arteries.

Untreated sleep apnoea significantly increases the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases. Over time, the chronic stress caused by this sleep disorder weakens heart function, leading to more severe complications.

Decades may go by before those who live in poverty and suffer from sleep apnoea realise that they were never diagnosed correctly and that their cardiovascular health has been deteriorating steadily. Increasingly severe worsening of the heart condition and their state of health only seems to be fanning this cycle of deterioration. Severe complications can best be prevented through early intervention in sleep disorders.

How Sleeping Disorders Affect Blood Pressure Formation and Plaque

It has also recently been discovered that sleep quality significantly impacts blood pressure control. Blood pressure falls typically at night to enable the cardiovascular system to recover. People who have broken and low-quality sleep often suffer from what is referred to as “non-dipping” blood pressure; that is, blood pressure will remain high even during the night. This chronically elevated blood pressure further stresses the arteries, which increases the speed at which plaque accumulates.

This can explain why maintaining good-quality sleep is vital, particularly in vulnerable patients with cardiovascular diseases. Transplant India, an NGO for organ donation in Mumbai, offers these critical resources and lessons about how lifestyle factors like sleep can determine the eventual necessity of an organ transplant.

Lifestyle Changes that Improve Sleep and Arterial Health

Improving sleep is one of the easiest ways to reduce the incidence of arterial plaque. Here are practical steps to improve sleep and cardiovascular health.

• Consistent Sleeping Pattern: Regular sleep helps maintain high-quality nighttime sleep while keeping the body’s internal rhythm in check, reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Treat Sleep Apnea: If you think you suffer from sleep apnea, consult the doctor immediately. CPAP machines have been reported to significantly reduce plaque development and other heart conditions.
• Manage Stress: Chronic stress damages heart health and has a decisive effect on sleep. Meditation, yoga, and respiration methods improve sleep and reduce inflammation.
• Healthy Diet: A healthy diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and antioxidants can help reduce inflammation and promote quality sleep that works wonders for your heart and arteries.
• Exercise: Control of sleep disorders and lowering blood pressure through regular exercise improves artery health.

Transplant India plays an integral role in the more significant issue of cardiovascular health. We provide financial support for heart transplant patients and educate the community on how to take better care of patients by providing information on preventing sicknesses. The organisation also provides financial aid for kidney transplants and liver transplant patients in India. However, it also makes people aware that lifestyle factors like sleep quality may impact heart health.

Knowledge and understanding of sleep and cardiovascular health would be the saving grace of those in underserved communities who may not regularly avail themselves of healthcare services due to financial constraints and unawareness. Transplant India performs an exceptional service by bringing transplants, hope, and a second chance at life to patients.