ADSENSE READY
HEALTH - In the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the German researchers describe the close relationship between lack of sleep and high blood pressure that ended with a sudden heart attack.
They noted, employees with working hours of 24 hours as medical personnel and emergency services personnel, are significantly more likely to suffer sudden cardiac arrest, due to increased blood pressure and heart rate.
"For the first time, we show that a lack of sleep, even if only one night, can cause a significant increase in cardiac contractility, blood pressure and heart rate," said study author Dr. Daniel Kuetting of the University of Bonn.
For this study, Dr. Kuetting and colleagues recruited 20 healthy radiologists, including 19 men and one woman, with an average age of 31.6 years. Each of the study participants underwent cardiovascular MRI scans, before and after work overtime. The average worker had only three hours of sleep.
The researchers also collected blood and urine samples from participants and measure blood pressure and heart rate.
After experiencing a lack of sleep only once, the volunteers showed a significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
In addition, the participants also experienced a significant increase in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid hormones FT3 and FT4, and cortisol, which is released by the body in response to stress.
"This study was designed to investigate the real life related to the work that makes a person less sleep," says Dr. Kuetting.
