Heart health isn’t likely something that you thought much about in your younger years, but if you’re 60 or older, it’s probably something you’ve started prioritizing. If not, you should start. Risks for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke all increase with age. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for adults over 60, making prevention and early intervention more important than ever. While many people assume that heart problems are inevitable with aging, research shows that lifestyle choices can meaningfully influence outcomes, even later in life.Age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is compounded by other risk factors including genetics, sex, level of fragility and obesity. This is because blood vessels stiffen and narrow over time. The heart muscle also becomes thicker and less efficient. These structural changes can make it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively, increasing blood pressure and strain on the cardiovascular system.Over time, this added strain can contribute to fatigue, shortness of breath and reduced exercise tolerance, even during everyday activities.
While there’s no way to prevent getting older, your biological age is not necessarily your chronological age. Biological age reflects the state of your cells and tissues and how your body is aging at a cellular level. Depending on your diet and lifestyle habits, your biological age can be either younger or older than your chronological age. There’s one common habit that doctors say ages the heart even faster than smoking. Here's what you need to know.
Related: Don't Order This at a Restaurant if You Want to Protect Your Heart, Cardiologists Warn
The Habit That Ages Heart Health Faster Than Smoking, According to Cardiologists
kieferpix/Getty Images
When most people think of habits that support heart health, they think of habits like getting regular exercise, eating a nutrient-rich diet and not smoking. While these certainly are all habits that greatly support heart health, there’s one common habit that many people don’t realize ages their heart prematurely: not getting enough sleep.
Dr. Beverly J. Fang, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says that chronic sleep deprivation is linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure, one key way that not getting enough sleep ages the heart. “The risk is higher with even shorter sleep durations of fewer than five hours per night. Some studies suggest this relationship may be particularly pronounced in women,” she explains.
?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
Why does this happen? According to Dr. Fang, when we don’t get enough sleep, the systems that help regulate blood pressure are disrupted. “Sleep restriction increases activation of the sympathetic nervous system—the body’s ‘fight, flight, freeze’ response—which raises heart rate and blood pressure,” she says, adding that, at the same time, not getting enough sleep raises cortisol levels. Together, this can lead to higher blood pressure over time because it prevents the natural dips in blood pressure that happen during sleep.
Dr. Jack Wolfson, DO, FACC, a cardiologist and the founder of Natural Heart Doctor, says that another way that lack of sleep raises blood pressure is because endothelial function (jobs performed by the endothelium, which is the thin cell layer lining blood vessels) declines with poor sleep. “Blood vessels lose their ability to produce nitric oxide, making them stiffer and less able to relax. Over time, poor sleep quality and quantity significantly increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure,” he explains.
Related: 7 Foods Cardiologists Always Eat for Heart Health
Both doctors say that chronic sleep deprivation causes inflammation, which is also bad for cardiovascular health. Dr. Wolfson tells Parade that even short-term sleep loss raises inflammation, so when it happens for years, the impact is particularly detrimental. He explains that chronic sleep loss damages blood vessels, accelerates plaque formation and increases arterial stiffness.
“It also destabilizes existing plaque, raising the risk of sudden plaque rupture, which is the most common trigger for heart attacks,” he says. On top of all this, he explains that not getting enough sleep also worsens insulin resistance.
According to Dr. Fang, not getting enough sleep completely messes up the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock. This, too, prematurely ages the heart. Dr. Fang explains that when the body’s internal clock is disrupted, it leads to abnormal blood pressure patterns and disrupted metabolic regulation.
Related: We Asked 3 Cardiologists About Their Go-To 5-Minute Habit for Heart Health and They All Had the Exact Same Answer
As you can see, there are a whole lot of ways that not getting enough sleep impacts the cardiovascular system. Because of this, Dr. Wolfson says that chronically not getting enough sleep ages the heart even faster than smoking does.
“Smoking is a powerful cardiovascular toxin, but chronic sleep deprivation is a full-body system disruptor. Poor sleep drives constant sympathetic activation, chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, impaired vascular repair and accelerated biological aging—all at once,” he explains.
There’s another way that not getting enough sleep can negatively impact heart health: It increases the risk of obesity, and obesity is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Both doctors explain that not getting enough sleep alters key appetite-regulating hormones by increasing ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates hunger, and decreasing leptin, a hormone released by fat cells that signals fullness.
On top of that, Dr. Fang says that not getting enough sleep can also affect the brain’s endocannabinoid system, which can then increase cravings for calorie-dense foods high in carbohydrates and fats. “In addition, sleep deprivation is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and impaired blood glucose regulation, raising the risk of developing diabetes or worsening diabetes control,” she says.
When you’re tired, Dr. Wolfson points out that it’s also harder to have the motivation and energy to be active, another way in which lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity.
Because of all of the ways not getting enough sleep impacts heart health, consistently getting enough sleep is vital. To best support your circadian rhythm (and in turn, your cardiovascular system), Dr. Wolfson says to go to bed after it gets dark and rise with the sun. He adds that not using tech at night and getting sunshine during the day also supports circadian rhythm.
The importance of getting enough sleep can’t be overemphasized. If you have trouble sleeping, make it your goal to get to the root issue of your sleep problems this year. Your heart depends on it!
Up Next:
Related: This Is the Worst Type of Meat for Heart Health, According to a Cardiologist
Sources:
Heart disease remains leading cause of death as key health risk factors continue to rise. American Heart Association. Noto, S. (2023). Perspectives on aging and quality of life. Healthcare (Basel), 11(15), 2131. Dr. Beverly J. Fang, MD, psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of MedicineDr. Jack Wolfson, DO, FACC, a cardiologist and the founder of Natural Heart DoctorRodgers, J.L., Jones, J., Bolleddu, S., et al. (2019). Cardiovascular Risks Associated with Gender and Aging. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. 6(2):19. Backman, I. (2024). The biology of aging. Yale School of MedicineMakarem, N., Shechter, A., Carnethon, M.R., et al. (2019). Sleep Duration and Blood Pressure: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Current Hypertension Reports. 21(5):33Mullington, J.M., Simpson, N.S., Meier-Ewert, H., et al. Sleep Loss and Inflammation. Best Practice and Clinical Research: Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 24(5):775-784Csige, I., Ujvárosy, D., Szabó, Z., et al. (2018). The Impact of Obesity on the Cardiovascular System. Journal of Diabetes Research. 2018:3407306. doi: 10.1155/2018/3407306Hence then, the article about this common daily habit ages your heart faster than smoking was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( This Common Daily Habit Ages Your Heart Faster Than Smoking )
Also on site :
- My Big Family Once Formed the Backbone of My Life. Then, We Discovered My Sister’s Horrific Actions. Now Nothing Is the Same.
- Royal Caribbean Extends Pause at Private Caribbean Resort Through 2026—Here’s What Cruisers Are Getting Instead
- HomeGoods' Gorgeous New Valentine's Glassware Has Shoppers Saying: 'I Need It All'