Study: Extra sleep on weekends reduces the risk of hypertension
An analysis of data from 40,000 people showed that an optimal increase in weekend sleep time by 1.5 hours reduces the likelihood of developing high blood pressure.
Tunzale Melikova2 min read
A new study based on data from 40,000 adults in South Korea has shown that extra sleep on weekends may help reduce the risk of developing hypertension. The results of the seven-year observation refute the common belief that changing sleep patterns at the end of the week is exclusively harmful to the body's biological rhythms.
According to the findings, on average, "catch-up sleep" reduces the likelihood of developing high blood pressure by 6%. The most pronounced effect was observed in physically inactive people, whose risk of hypertension decreased by 6.9%. Researchers determined that the optimal duration of additional rest is 1 hour and 27 minutes, which correlates with a 9% reduction in the risk of the disease.
The study's author, Dr. Navon Lee from Korea University in Seoul, explained that sleep deprivation during the week puts additional strain on the cardiovascular system. According to him, extra sleep on weekends allows the body to recover and reduce this stress. "People shouldn't feel guilty about sleeping in on the weekends. If they are sleep-deprived during the week, it's simply the body's way of making up for the deficit," the scientist noted.
At the same time, the study's authors warn against excessive sleep. Data showed that increasing rest time by more than 4 hours on weekends, conversely, increases the risk of hypertension due to the disruption of circadian rhythms.
Hypertension remains a serious global issue, affecting more than 1.3 billion people. This condition significantly increases the likelihood of developing heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and premature death, making the search for prevention methods, including the normalization of sleep patterns, highly relevant.
Source: aawsat.com
