Just one week of inadequate sleep disrupts cholesterol metabolism down to the genetic level, which can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, a serious vascular disease. This is evidenced by the results of a study published in Scientific Reports, writes the portal “Neurotechnology.rf”.
As we all well know, a number of lifestyle factors can lead to metabolic failure when plaque begins to form on the inner walls of blood vessels, blocking blood flow, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Plaques are formed by low density lipoproteins (LDL) – “bad” cholesterol.
The authors of the study suggested that sleep deprivation was most directly related to the formation of plaque in blood vessels, and studied exactly how it happens. Scientists conducted their experiment and processed datasets from two other experiments in combination with it. Participants in the first were deprived of normal sleep for a week in a controlled laboratory setting in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health. The second and third datasets come from the DILGOM study (diet, lifestyle, genetic factors for obesity and metabolic syndrome), as well as the study of cardiovascular risk in young Finns (Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study).
After analyzing these data, the researchers concluded that genes involved in the regulation of cholesterol transport were less expressed in sleep-deprived people than in those who got enough sleep. In addition, they found that people who did not sleep enough had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein HDL (“good” cholesterol). Thus, sleep deprivation significantly lowers HDL levels, which in turn promotes plaque build-up inside blood vessels and potential heart problems.
“It is especially interesting that all these factors contributing to the progression of atherosclerosis – inflammatory reactions and changes in cholesterol metabolism – are found both experimentally and in epidemiological data. Experimental studies have shown that just one week of inadequate sleep begins to alter the intensity of the body’s immune response and metabolism. Our next goal is to determine what minimal sleep deprivation triggers these processes, ”says Vilma Aho, one of the study’s authors.
Research in recent years has linked insufficient sleep to many chronic pathologies, including obesity, diabetes, mental disorders, and memory impairments. It is also associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, and also has a negative impact on the emotional sphere of a person. Read these tips from Arianna Huffington, an advocate of quality sleep, on how to fall asleep and get enough sleep.