A Mysterious Link Between Sleeplessness and Heart Disease

December 26, 2008 | Source: New York Times

People who don’t get much sleep are more likely than those who do to develop calcium deposits in their coronary arteries, possibly raising their risk for heart disease, a new study has found.

The researchers concluded that one hour more of sleep per night was associated with a 33 percent decrease in the odds of calcification.

Possible mechanims include higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol with less sleep, and blood pressure dip with more sleep.