For this work, the researchers used the UK Biobank, a biomedical database that contains the genetic, medical and lifestyle information of half a million UK participants anonymously.
More than 500,000 participants aged 40 to 69 living in the UK between 2006 and 2010 were studied. Participants regularly provided blood, urine and saliva samples, as well as detailed information about their lifestyle.
The study found that compared to people who reported never napping, people who normally napped were 12% more likely to develop high blood pressure and 24% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
“This study echoes other findings that generally show that taking more naps appears to reflect an increased risk of heart health and other problems,” said Grander, director of the Sleep Health Research Program and Behavioral Medicine Clinic. of the dream He is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
In addition, participants under 60 years of age who normally napped had a 20% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to people of the same age who never napped.
After age 60, regular napping was associated with a 10% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who reported never napping.