Heart disease can be devastating to your overall health since it is linked to many other chronic health conditions. While it may not be top of mind, research has even linked heart disease with insomnia.
A study conducted over 11 years in Norway and published in the European Heart Journal,
reports Psych Central, sought to investigate the fact that as many as 73 percent of patients with heart disease also have classic symptoms of insomnia such as trouble getting to sleep, waking up often, and having poor quality sleep.
ALERT: 5 Signs Your Heart Is In Trouble
Although a clear cause-and-effect relationship could not be established with the study, it was shown that patients who experienced three or more symptoms of insomnia had triple the risk of developing heart failure compared to subjects without insomnia.
Dr. Lars Laugsan, lead researcher on the study told WebMD that if further studies can better establish causality, it could have implications for prevention of heart disease. Insomnia is easily recognized and is fairly easy to manage.
Dr. Laugsan further explains that when patients experience stress during the day and stress again at night when they can’t sleep, their blood pressure and heart rate goes up and they release more stress hormones, all of which are linked to heart disease.
URGENT: Coronary Heart Disease: 5 Tips to Reduce Your Risk
Seconds Count, a project run by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, describes the link between heart disease and insomnia as a “vicious cycle” by explaining that poor sleep contributes to heart disease and heart disease can cause difficulty sleeping.
The project says poor sleep increases substances in the body like C-reactive protein, indicating chronic inflammation. This inflammation could be one factor in why people with insomnia have a greater risk of developing heart disease.
Patients who suspect they have insomnia, even if it is a minor problem would be wise to discuss the condition with their physician, advises Seconds Count.
Sometimes, simple lifestyle changes are all that are needed to begin getting a good night’s sleep once again. That restful sleep may do more than just improve your energy level, it could prevent heart disease.
SPECIAL: Top Cardiologist: What I learned From 40,000 Heart Procedures
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.