Lack of sleep may cause heart failure? American Heart Association warns: Get at least 7 hours of sleep a day
Not getting enough sleep affects cardiovascular health! AHA: Sleep 7-9 hours a day
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the world, 80% of which can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released a study to update seven major recommendations for protecting heart health, including “sleep quality” as a separate risk factor for the first time, clearly reminding that sleep time can affect cardiovascular health. The study was published in the important medical journal Circulation.
The “American Heart Association” pointed out in the study that the average daily sleep time is recommended for adults to be 7-9 hours, and for children under 5 years old, it is recommended to be 10-16 hours a day; for children 6-12 years old, it is 9-12 hours; 13-18 hours It is recommended for adolescents aged 8-10 hours a day to sleep.
Research in recent years has found that the length of continuous sleep every day will affect overall health. During non-rapid eye movement sleep, the body will enter deep repair, which is an important way to maintain physical and mental health. People with better sleep patterns can also maintain a more ideal weight, blood pressure, and reduce the risk of diabetes. On the contrary, failure to enter deep sleep may increase the risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and even heart failure.
Eight Principles of Heart Protection updated: Eat more DASH and have Mediterranean diets
The American Heart Association calls the updated cardiovascular health guidelines “Life’s Essential 8”, which includes 8 assessment indicators and recommended methods. First, adopt the “DASH Diet” principle in terms of diet, focusing on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, and reducing the sodium content, processed meats, and sugary drinks in the diet. It is recommended to eat more “Mediterranean diet” on a daily basis.
Second, we maintain the same recommendations for exercise, with 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week being the best. Third, nicotine exposure adds e-cigarettes to the list of dangers, and it is also recommended that both adults and children avoid exposure to secondhand smoke; fourth , the body mass index (BMI) is recommended to be maintained between 18.5-24.9, which is the best value for maintaining cardiovascular health.
In addition, the “three highs” are closely related to cardiovascular disease. In this update of recommendations, the American Heart Association emphasizes that “LDL” should be used as the monitoring standard; in terms of blood sugar, it also emphasizes that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) can better reflect the past Blood sugar control in 2-3 months. As for blood pressure, it is still recommended to control it below 120/80 mm Hg. Finally, for the first time, sleep duration is included as a risk factor that must be considered separately.
In addition to the above eight quantifiable indicators, the American Heart Association also reminds that an individual’s socioeconomic status, racial discrimination, education level, employment status, health care system, depression and loneliness will all affect cardiovascular health and must be Through more policies and relevant research, we can find ways to bridge disparities and improve the heart health of all members of society.
Don’t take a nap for more than 30 minutes! 6 actions to help improve sleep quality
Harvard Medical School recommends that exercise, diet and daily routine will all affect cardiovascular health. You can try 10 small changes in your life to help protect your heart: walk for 10 minutes a day, use items at hand to exercise muscles, eat one more fruit and vegetable every day, Eat a healthy breakfast based on whole grains, drink less sugary drinks to control your weight, eat nuts in moderation, replace red meat with fish, take deep breaths, maintain hand hygiene, and think mindfully.
The pandemic has also caused more people to face sleep problems. Harvard Medical School recommends that exercising during the day can improve sleep quality. It is not recommended to lie in bed for too long during the day, and the nap time should be less than 30 minutes as much as possible. Reduce caffeine intake after the afternoon, maintain a fixed wake-up time, and avoid using electronic products such as mobile phones and tablets before going to bed. These practices can help improve sleep conditions.
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Strategies to promote better sleep in these uncertain times
American Heart Association adds sleep to cardiovascular health checklist
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