Sleepless night or insomnia is becoming increasingly common among youth adults, according to a study published in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal.
CBS reported that researchers in Taiwan found people with insomnia might have a greater risk of stroke than those who don't have the sleeping disorder, especially among young adults. Insomnia is a disorder that prevents an individual from sleeping.
Conducted by Dr. Ya-Wen Hsu and five other colleagues over a four-year period, the study observed 21,000 insomniacs and 64,000 non-insomniacs between the ages of 18 and 35. Insomniacs were 54 percent more likely to end up in the hospital as the result of a stroke.
Leading cardiologist, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum from Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City has stated that, "We've seen that people who have sleep issues have other health factors that increase their risk for stroke. This one behavioral issue, insomnia, has all these multiple factors associated with it that lead to an increased risk of stroke."
During the four-year follow-up, 583 insomniacs and 962 non-insomniacs were hospitalized due to stroke, but the risk decreased after the age of 35. The majority of strokes are suffered by people over age 65. Some 10 to 15 percent of all strokes affect patients 45 years old and younger.
Study author Ya-Wen Hsu, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science and the Department of Medical Research at Chi-Mei Medical Center in Taiwan, said that they study "highlight the clinical importance of screening for insomnia at younger ages."
"We pay a lot of attention to high blood pressure, to obesity, to issues related to cholesterol. Those are known risk factors," Dr. Demetrius Lopes, director of the Interventional Cerebrovascular Center at Rush University in Chicago and a spokesman for the American Heart Association, said. "But I think what is underrated is if you don't have a good sleep routine, how much it can harm you, especially at a young age."
Previous studies stated that insomnia is associated with systematic inflammation, blood sugar, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. Insomnia has also been associated with other health problems like diabetes.
