Medical expert of the article
New publications
Insomnia may be a sign of cardiovascular disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Nowadays, many people suffer from insomnia and mistakenly believe that such behavior of the body is quite safe. In fact, sleep disturbance can be associated not only with momentary fatigue of the body, but also with chronic diseases or psychological problems.
Recent research conducted by scientists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has shown that people who regularly experience insomnia and difficulty falling asleep are more likely to develop heart disease. For 11 years, Scandinavian scientists conducted a study, the results of which showed a connection between poor sleep and heart disease. Throughout this time, scientists observed 50,000 volunteers aged 25 to 90 years.
The researchers claim that at the beginning of the experiment, none of the participants complained of heart failure or had any visible problems with the cardiovascular system. All volunteers who took part in the study had normal blood circulation and stable heart function. Over the course of 11 years, specialists conducted detailed surveys and comparative analyses of data on each participant in the study. They were asked about problems with falling asleep, about their condition after a long sleep, about the quality of sleep and the ability to fully restore strength. The results of the analysis of the data obtained showed that those people who had regular sleep disorders were several times more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and more often to suffer from chronic diseases of the nervous system.
The conclusions that the experts made after receiving the survey results did not change even after additional factors were taken into account: obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and fatty foods. The scientists who worked on the study cannot explain how sleep quality can affect heart disease, at the moment, the experts are working to find out the reasons for the relationship.
The head of the study believes that after determining the cause that links sleep disorders and the occurrence of heart disease, doctors will be able to develop a system for preventing serious diseases. If insomnia can cause heart failure, then special attention should be paid to the quality of sleep and possible treatment of its disorders.
Norwegian researchers suggest that during restless sleep, stress hormones are produced in the human body, which can provoke the occurrence of heart disease. Previously, a group of Scandinavian scientists found that people who suffer from insomnia are more likely to experience myocardial infarction.
A study conducted in Norway certainly proves the connection between sleep disorders and heart failure. At the moment, scientists are working to find out what is primary: insomnia and restless sleep or a tendency to heart disease.
[