An overseas study found that people who have the habit of going to bed early in the morning have twice the risk of arteriosclerosis compared to people who wake up early in the morning.
Recently, a research team from the Medical Research Institute of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden published a paper in the international academic journal ‘Sleep Medicine’ showing that the night owl lifestyle can significantly increase the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Arteriosclerosis is a disease caused by accumulation of fat in blood vessels, and is more likely to occur in elderly people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. This disease is known to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
The research team analyzed the correlation between sleep habits and disease based on data from 771 people aged 50 to 64.
Participants were divided into a group with a ‘night owl’ lifestyle, sleeping late in the evening, and a group with a ‘morning type’ lifestyle, waking up early in the morning. Afterwards, the research team analyzed the two groups using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
As a result, of the 771 people who participated in the study, 144 were classified as extreme morning people and 128 were classified as night owls.
When the degree of calcification of coronary arteries that causes arteriosclerosis was examined using computed tomography (CT), coronary artery calcification was found in approximately 40.6% of the night owl group. On the other hand, in the extreme morning person group, coronary artery calcification was found in 22.2%. This was the lowest figure among the groups surveyed.
The research team analyzed that the reason why the night owl group had a high rate of coronary artery calcification was because “the habit of sleeping late at night disrupted the human circadian rhythm and made eating habits irregular.”
The research team said, “People who are night owls may be at risk for cardiovascular disease, so they should be aware of the potential risk of arteriosclerosis and should try not to go to bed too late.”
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.