Cardiology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Serkan Kahraman said that cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death all over the world.
Stating that cardiovascular diseases related to this pose a serious problem for public health not only in Türkiye but all over the world, Kahraman stated that over time, common problems such as advanced age, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Assoc. Dr. Kahraman also explained that diseases related to cardiovascular occlusion are now also seen in young people.
Stating that sleep patterns are important for heart health, Kahraman stated that approximately one in every three people in the world has a sleep disorder.
Kahraman explained that problems in falling asleep, maintaining sleep or obtaining quality sleep affect heart health and said, “Cardiovascular diseases more often cause problems for us in people with sleep disorders.”
Stating that physical and mental recovery occurs during sleep, Kahraman said, “When we fall asleep, especially in the period we call deep sleep, both our blood pressure and heart rate decrease. In other words, the heart recovers itself to a certain extent and goes to rest. If the sleep is not of good quality, this self-recovery and regulation of the heart is disrupted.”
CRITICAL ELEMENTS FOR GOOD SLEEP
Assoc. Dr. Kahraman stated that blood pressure and sugar levels, lung diseases, asthma and obesity are more common in sleep disorders, and that these conditions trigger cardiovascular diseases.
Stating that poor quality sleep increases the risk of heart attack and rhythm disturbances, Kahraman said, “If we sleep less, the inflammatory process in the body, which we call inflammation, is triggered. This increases cardiovascular occlusions. Heart attacks due to cardiovascular occlusions are more common in people who sleep less than 7 hours a day. In addition, heart failure increases and arrhythmias are more common.” he said.
Stating that going to bed late at night disrupts the quality of sleep, Kahraman stated that the quality of sleep deteriorates, especially during sleep after 23.00 and 24.00.
Assoc. Dr. Regarding the conditions of good sleep, Kahraman said, “For a good sleep, we need to prepare ourselves for this during the day. Especially during the day, we need to avoid excessively fatty and excessively salty foods. We need to stay away from factors such as cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine. If we do enough physical exercise during the day, this will help us have a good sleep in the evening.”
“WAKING UP WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH MAY BE A SYMPTOM OF HEART DISEASE”
Stating that there are some symptoms of heart disease due to sleep disorders, Kahraman said, “The most important of these symptoms is waking up with shortness of breath, especially at night. Shortening of sleep hours, especially in the period we call deep sleep, that is, sleeping for 1-2 hours and waking up with shortness of breath instead of 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, may be a sign of heart disease.”
Underlining that physical exercise should be done during the day as much as possible for a quality and regular sleep, Kahraman said, “Stay away from cigarettes and alcohol. Avoid heavy, fatty meals, especially after a certain time in the evening, and make your physical exercise appropriate. These are important for heart health and for having a good sleep. And have a rhythm. It is recommended that you make it a habit to sleep at certain times and wake up at certain hours every day.”
