Lifestyle Changes
Sleep and Heart Disease
Sleep is extremely important to your overall health. Sleeping plays an important role in immune function, metabolism, and heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity have all been linked to a lack of sleep, which may increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. General consensus is that adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep a night.
Given the importance of sleep, recognizing a sleep disorder may help you improve your sleep habits and your overall health. Common sleep disorders include:
- Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing to stop or become very shallow. Symptoms of sleep apnea include dry mouth, snoring, and gasping for breath. Sleep apnea may lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
- Insomnia: Insomnia is when a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Insomnia is also linked to heart disease.
- Restless leg syndrome (RLS): RLS is the irresistible urge to move the legs. RLS generally worsens with age and can disrupt sleep.
Fortunately, there are ways to improve your sleep habits. We included a few recommendations from the CDC below:
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
- Get enough physical activity during the day. Try not to exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
- Avoid eating or drinking within a few hours of bedtime, especially alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar.
- Lose weight. According to Johns Hopkins research, people with prediabetes and diabetes who lost belly fat improved sleep regardless of their age or gender, or how they lost the weight (for example, diet alone, or diet plus exercise).
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, talk to your primary care provider. Better sleep may lead to an improvement in your overall health.
As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. Only a physician can determine whether Impella is an appropriate course of treatment. There are potential risks including acute renal dysfunction, Aortic valve injury, Bleeding, Cardiogenic shock, Cerebral vascular accident/Stroke, Death, Hemolysis, Limb ischemia, Myocardial infarction, Renal failure, Thrombocytopenia and Cardiac or Vascular injury (including ventricular perforation). These risks need to be discussed with your doctor and recovery takes time. The success of this procedure depends on many factors, including your physical condition and your body’s ability to tolerate the procedure. Use care in the selection of your doctors and hospital, based on their skill and experience.
As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. Only a physician can determine whether Impella is an appropriate course of treatment. The potential adverse effects (e.g., complications) associated with the use of the Impella RP System, Impella RP with SmartAssist and Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist: Arrhythmia, Atrial fibrillation, Bleeding, Cardiac tamponade, Cardiogenic shock, Death, Device malfunction, Hemolysis, Hepatic failure, Insertion site infection, Phlegmasia cerulea dolens (a severe form of deep venous thrombosis), Pulmonary valve insufficiency, Respiratory dysfunction, Sepsis, Thrombocytopenia, Thrombotic vascular (non-central nervous system) complication, Tricuspid valve injury, Cardiac or Vascular injury (including ventricular perforation), Venous thrombosis, Ventricular fibrillation and/or tachycardia. These risks need to be discussed with your doctor and recovery takes time. The success of this procedure depends on many factors, including your physical condition and your body’s ability to tolerate the procedure. Use care in the selection of your doctors and hospital, based on their skill and experience.
References
- Do Your Heart a Favor-Get More Sleep. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/do-your-heart-a-favor-get-more-sleep
- How Does Sleep Affect Your Heart Health. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/sleep.htm
NPS-1712