Conventional medicine is realizing sleep -- related to the lack of it -- is an important key to your overall health. Not only can less sleep harm your health in terms of elevating your risk of liver disease and obesity, missing it over the long haul may also raise your risk of high blood pressure.
Researchers analyzed data on more than 4,800 patients (ages 32-86) who participated in the initial National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Out of that group, some 650 patients were diagnosed with hypertension.
Sleeping no more than six hours a night more than doubled the hypertension risks of patients in the 32-59 age range. What's more, taking conditions such as diabetes and obesity into consideration, a patient's blood pressure risks remained almost as high.
Yet, a recent study found getting too much sleep can be just as risky for elevating your chances of diabetes as getting too little.
The key here is to get the optimal amount of sleep every night, without taking a health-harming drug. If you're one of the nearly 60 percent of Americans who can't get the right amount, I urge you to review my secrets for good sleep today.
Hypertension April 3, 2006
Yahoo News April 3, 2006