You need to sleep well to live well. The phrase may sound like an unreliable popular saying. Yet it is well known that sayings hide their truths and this is also the case here. Recent studies have found several relationships between insomnia and the onset of disease. On the pages of ProiezionidiBorsa we have already dealt with the link between insomnia and cardiovascular disease. We have also seen how, by treating sleep problems, we can reduce the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. Today we report an appendix to the study, according to which not only atherosclerosis and heart disease but also neurodegenerative diseases could be reduced by solving this common problem.
The fact is always linked to the particular behavior of white blood cells which, in people suffering from insomnia, increase the levels of calcium present in the coronary arteries. Excessive calcium is one of the main symptoms of atherosclerosis, a pathological condition that decreases the elasticity of blood vessels, increasing the risk of disease. By returning to normal sleep, we can reduce the risks as well.
Not only atherosclerosis and heart disease but also neurodegenerative diseases could be reduced by solving this common problem
A study carried out at the University of Berkeley and reported by the Veronesi Foundation highlights the links between interrupted sleep and cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. The researchers tracked some subjects’ sleep using a test called polysomnography. Following this detection, doctors were able to calculate the levels of neutrophils and monocytes in the subjects. Neutrophils and monocytes are white blood cells that elevate inflammatory pathways. Shallow, broken sleep causes an increase in neutrophils, but not monocytes. The consequence of this anomaly is an increase in calcium in the coronary arteries, a symptom of atherosclerosis. These calcium formations form real plaques, which cause a loss of elasticity of the artery walls.
Put simply, it shrinks the space where blood flows into blood vessels. The consequence is a higher risk of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, such as, for example, heart attack and stroke. But irregular sleep would also increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. This is attested by a research published in the journal “Nature” and reported by the Veronesi Foundation. Treating insomnia would therefore be important in order to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases as well.
To reduce the risks you need to get back to sleep
The relationship between insomnia and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases seems to be confirmed on several fronts. The other side of the coin, however, is that by recovering from sleep disorders we can reduce the risks associated with atherosclerosis. There are several ways to treat insomnia. Among these, the treatment with sleeping pills or with melatonin stands out, to be agreed, in both cases, with your doctor. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy has also given excellent results in this regard. By combining the two solutions, we can re-establish a good sleep-wake rhythm, reducing the risks of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.
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