HEALTHY HEART SLEEP

General Heart health Information and News

Your good health comes first. A heart and sleep healthcare professional is committed to providing you with exceptional care and offers convenient access to top quality health services. Professionals in practice offer a personalized approach to your healthcare and partner with you to help you feel and perform your best.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death among women and men in the United States. It is commonly caused by fatty deposits (plaque) building up inside the arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood around your body. This condition is called atherosclerosis, and it is an inflammatory target. White blood cells from the immune system collect at the sites of plaque build up and cause inflammation.

Over time, the plaque can harden and lead to narrowing of your arteries. By limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other vital glands, organs, and structures, atherosclerosis can lead to serious, even life-threatening problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Sleep Deficiency

In the last few decades, clinical research studies have linked sleep deficiency and specific sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, to an elevated risk of heart disease and various other health conditions. But, for many years, the molecular mechanisms that linked poor quality or insufficient sleep and heart disease were unclear. 

Researchers discovered that sleep disruption activates a molecule that provokes inflammation and can lead to atherosclerotic fatty buildup in the arteries of experimental subjects. The findings underscore the essential nature of getting enough quality sleep to maintain heart health. Now that these mechanisms have been studied and identified in more depth, medical providers may have new methods for developing ways to fight and treat heart disease.