Last year when I wrote a Facebook note that more and more young boys are succumbing to heart attack. And reasons could be food, sleep and screen obsession, readers started debating. (Link here )
Here is one more evidence of how sleep is playing a role and when sleep is fragmented due to screen obsession and late night working, it acts fatal randomly.
Fragmented Sleep = Hardening of arteries.
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) is a disorder in which arteries (blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to other parts of the body) become narrowed because fat (cholesterol deposits called atherosclerosis) is first deposited on the inside walls of the arteries, then becomes hardened by fibrous tissue and calcification (arteriosclerosis). As this plaque grows, it narrows the lumen of the artery (the space in the artery tubes), thereby reducing both the oxygen and blood supply to the affected organ (like the heart, eyes, kidney, legs, gut, or the brain). The plaque may eventually severely block the artery, causing death of the tissue supplied by the artery, for example, heart attack or stroke.
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/hardening_of_the_arteries/article_em.htm#facts_on_hardening_of_the_arteries
Research
Short and fragmented sleep linked to hardened arteries
Dr Dominguez said: “People who had short or disrupted sleep were also more likely to have metabolic syndrome, which refers to the combination of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, and depicts an unhealthy lifestyle.”
He concluded: “Failure to get enough sleep and restlessness during the night should be considered risk factors for blocking or narrowing of the arteries. Studies are needed to find out if sleeping well and long enough can prevent or reverse this effect on the arteries. In the meantime it seems sensible to take steps to get a good night’s sleep – such as having a physically active lifestyle and avoiding coffee and fatty foods before bedtime.”
https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Short-and-fragmented-sleep-linked-to-hardened-arteries
