Poor sleep increases stroke risk, study says; see symptoms – 06/04/2023 – Equilibrium

Sleep disorders increase the risk of stroke (cerebrovascular accident) and contribute to the growing severity of the emergency. The conclusion is the result of work done by researchers from 32 countries published in the international scientific journal Neurology, and sheds new light on the relationship between impaired night rest and the risk of stroke.

Alvaro Avezum, director of the International Research Center at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz and one of the authors of the work, says that the discovery can help in the design of strategies to prevent the problem, which is the second leading cause of death in Brazil. In the results of the study, the researchers noted that the cumulative presence of the sleep problems studied can increase stroke severity by up to 160%.

Another study published by the same researchers shows that mitigating risk factors prevents 9 out of 10 deaths caused by the disease in the world. They are hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol levels, poor diet, obesity, psychosocial factors, smoking, heart problems, alcohol consumption and diabetes.

In the survey, more than 4,000 participants, including Brazilians, completed a questionnaire informing their sleep quality in the current month. The rest time of all of them was classified between short, if less than 5 hours, medium or long, when more than 9 hours. Disorders such as difficulty sleeping or staying asleep, poor quality of sleep, long or unplanned naps and even snoring were reported by the volunteers.

After analyzing all the reported data, the researchers counted 2200 cases of stroke, of which 8 out of 10 were of the ischemic type, that is, when there is an obstruction of a brain artery, and the others hemorrhagic, when a cerebral vessel ruptures. . They came to the conclusion that the observed disturbances may be risk factors that aggravate the severity and increase the risk of stroke.

Coordinator of the vascular neurology service at the Hospital de Clínicas at Unicamp (University of Campinas), Wagner Avelar says that lack of knowledge about the disease is the main reason for its severity. The expert draws attention to the importance of prevention, which involves changes in lifestyle to keep sudden illness off the radar. Quitting smoking, combating a sedentary lifestyle with regular physical activity, avoiding excess alcohol, controlling overweight and adjusting your diet are some of them. Improve sleep quality too.

During a well-slept night, a series of repairs takes place in our body. There are hormonal fluctuations, which can even help to unclog blood vessels where there is cholesterol accumulation, says the expert.

Li Li Min, neurologist and professor at Unicamp, adds that, despite being a sudden phenomenon, every stroke has its roots in the past. It is the preceding years of life that define the occurrence of the phenomenon.

In addition to helping the body regenerate, those who sleep poorly can have pressure spikes, one of the factors that can contribute to the occurrence of strokes shortly after waking up, a period in which the risk of stroke increases by up to 30%. Sleep apnea is another feature that can trigger these strokes.

The occurrence is also ageless. In another survey by Dutch scientists and also published in Neurology, more than a thousand patients, aged between 18 and 49 years, were interviewed. The researchers found that risk factors differ by age group. In younger people, soda consumption, intense physical exercise, sex and drug use were presented as triggers for the disease, along with fever and flu.

Despite being at risk, adolescents and young people in Brazil are still unaware of the disease. Between 2019 and 2020, almost 4,000 questionnaires were distributed in primary and secondary schools and universities by researchers from USP (University of São Paulo) to assess student awareness. Only half of them knew that the problem was related to high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and hypertension.

Professor Min points out that stroke manifests itself suddenly, and therefore it is important to consider any change in brain function that occurs suddenly as a stroke. The first measure to be taken is to call 192 and call Samu (Mobile Emergency Service).

The specialist still warns that the patient should not stay at home waiting for the problem to pass. “The more time passes, the more neurons and nerve cells die. It is necessary that care be provided as quickly as possible. In up to 4 and a half hours, we have the possibility of reversing the situation and saving the person’s life.”