A recent study by UTHealth Houston, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that adolescents who get the recommended nine to 11 hours of sleep daily have a 37% lower risk of developing hypertension. The research, analyzing data from 3,320 adolescents through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, tracked blood pressure readings and sleep patterns using Fitbit assessments, revealing an increase in hypertension incidents from 1.7% to 2.9% between 2018 and 2022.
Dr. Augusto César Ferreira De Moraes, the study’s lead author, explained that disrupted sleep can trigger elevated stress hormones like cortisol, which can raise blood pressure. While the study found no significant link between neighborhood noise and hypertension, researchers emphasized the need for longer-term studies to explore environmental factors’ impact on sleep health and hypertension. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of maintaining healthy sleep habits, with recommendations including consistent sleep schedules and minimizing screen time before bed.
Image from Unsplash by Priscilla Du Preez.