Taking a regular lunchtime nap of just 20 minutes significantly cuts the risk of having a heart attack, new research finds.
Scientists have found that even a relatively short sleep during the day is as effective as medication or a significant reduction in salt intake at staving off high blood pressure – a key cause of heart attacks.
Their study found that a 49 minute lunchtime nap lowered patients’ blood pressure by 5 mm Hg for the next 24 hours. This compared to a 5 to 7 mmg Hg drop if you take anti-hypertensive medication or a 3 to 5mm drop from reducing salt intake.
Direct relationship between time and benefit
The results found a “direct linear” relationship between length of sleep and decline in blood pressure, meaning a 20 minute nap would reduce blood pressure by 2 mm HG – which stands for “millimeters of mercury”, a reference to the reading on the mercury barometers used to measure blood pressure.
“These findings are important because a drop in blood pressure as small as 2 mm Hg can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack by up to 10 per cent,” said Manolis Kallistratos, cardiologist at the Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula, Greece.
The 5 to 7 mm Hg drop that results from a 49 minute nap implies a decline of about a third in the risk of a heart attack.
“If someone has the luxury to take a nap during the day, it may also have benefits for high blood pressure. Napping can be easily adopted and typically doesn’t cost anything,” said Dr Kallistratos, who presented his research findings at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans.
“If someone has the luxury to take a nap during the day, it may also have benefits for high blood pressure,”
Manolis Kallistratos
“We obviously don’t want to encourage people to sleep for hours on end during the day but on the other hand, they shouldn’t feel guilty if they can take a short nap, given the potential health benefits,” he added.
Overall, average 24-hour blood pressure was 5.3 mm Hg lower among those who napped compared with those who didn’t – 127.6 mm Hg vs 132.9 mm Hg.
The 212 study participants had a mean blood pressure of 129.9 mm Hg. They were 62 years old on average and just over half were female. About one out of four participants were smokers and/or had Type 2 diabetes.
Other ways to avoid high blood pressure:
1. Regular physical activity: Try to do some moderate-intensity activity every day and build up to at least 150 minutes per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
2. Keep to a healthy weight: For some people, losing weight is all they need to do to get their blood pressure down to a normal level
3. Eat a healthy balanced diet: In particular, include a variety of fruit and vegetables. Also try to eat plenty of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose wholegrain varieties wherever possible.
A balanced diet should also include;
-Some milk and dairy products
-Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
-And only a small amount of foods and drinks high in fats and/or sugar.
4. Cut down on salt: Don’t cook with salt or add any to your food at the table and cut down on processed foods, which contain a lot of salt. Surprisingly salty foods include cheese, sauces, butter and potatoes.
5. Don’t drink too much: If you drink alcohol, stick within the recommended limits. No more than 3–4 units a day for men and no more than 2–3 for women.
Source: British Heart Foundation
