New research has shown that those aged under 50 are more likely to have a stroke if they have insomnia symptoms.
Study author, Wendemi Sawadogo, says: ““There are many therapies that can help people improve the quality of their sleep, so determining which sleep problems lead to an increased risk of stroke may allow for earlier treatments or behavioural therapies for people who are having trouble sleeping and possibly reducing their risk of stroke later in life.”
This study involved 31,126 individuals with an average age of 61, participants also had no history of stroke at the beginning of the study.
The participants were asked four questions on how often they had trouble falling asleep, any sleep interruptions, if they wake up too early and if they have difficulty falling back asleep. Response options included “most of the time”, “sometimes” or “rarely or never.” Scores ranged from zero to eight, with a higher number meaning more severe symptoms.
Study participants were then followed for an average of nine years. During this time, there were 2,101 cases of stroke.
After adjust for factors that could affect the risk of stroke including alcohol use, smoking and physical activity levels, the researchers found that those with one to four symptoms had a 16 per cent increased risk of stroke compared to people with no symptoms. Of the 19,149 people with one to four symptoms, 1,300 had a stroke. Of the 6,282 people with no symptoms, 365 had a stroke. People with five to eight symptoms of insomnia had a 51 per cent increased risk. Of the 5,695 people with five to eight symptoms, 436 had a stroke.
When focusing on the participants under 50, the researchers found that the link between insomnia symptoms and stroke was stronger in those who experienced five to eight symptoms having nearly four times the risk of stroke compared to people with no symptoms. Of the 458 people under age 50 with five to eight symptoms, 27 had a stroke. People age 50 or older with the same number of symptoms had a 38 per cent increased risk of stroke compared to people with no symptoms. Of the 654 people 50 and over with five to eight symptoms, 33 had a stroke.
Sawadogo, says: “This difference in risk between these two age groups may be explained by the higher occurrence of stroke at an older age.
“The list of stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes can grow as people age, making insomnia symptoms one of many possible factors. This striking difference suggests that managing insomnia symptoms at a younger age may be an effective strategy for stroke prevention. Future research should explore the reduction of stroke risk through management of sleeping problems.”
