Just 3 days of this bad habit can increase your risk of heart disease even in young, healthy people

Snooze to your heart’s content.Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, claiming the lives of about 700,000 Americans each year.Heart health is influenced by several lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, weight, stress and sleep quality.A new study finds that just three nights of sleep deprivation can increase the risk of heart disease — even in young and healthy adults.“Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases,” said study leader Dr.

Jonathan Cedernaes, a docent at Uppsala University in Sweden.Cedernaes’ team had 16 healthy young men with good sleep habits visit a sleep lab, where their meals and activity levels were strictly controlled.In one session, the guys got a normal amount of sleep for three consecutive nights.In the other session, they only snoozed for about four hours each night.Experts generally recommend that adults get seven to nine hours of nightly slumber.

Sleep deprivation has been linked to impaired cognitive function, a weakened immune system, poorer mental health and increased risk of accidents, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.Morning and evening blood samples were drawn during both experimental sessions, as well as after 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise.The researchers measured about 90 proteins in the blood.Many of the levels of proteins associated with inflammation rose after the sleepless nights.Inflammation can be good and bad.

Inflammation is the body’s natural chemical response to an irritant or injury.Chronic inflammation — when the response continues well after the threat has passed — can damage blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.“It was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased … in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few ni...