People who regularly sleep six to seven hours a night have lower cardiovascular risk compared with those who sleep less, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held virtually from May 15 to 17.

Dr. Kartik Gupta, from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and colleagues evaluated the association between baseline cardiovascular risk and self-reported sleep duration using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005 to 2010) and linked cause of death from the National Center for Health Statistics for adults. Baseline cardiovascular risk was estimated using the10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score.

The researchers found that among 14,079 eligible participants (mean age, 46 years; 52% women; and 46% non-Hispanic White), the median 10-year ASCVD risk was 3.5%. The association between the 10-year ASCVD risk score and sleep duration was U-shaped, such that participants with a sleep duration of six to seven hours per night had the lowest risk. Median 10-year ASCVD risk was higher among participants with less than six hours (4.6%) of sleep per night compared with those with more than seven hours of sleep or those with six to seven hours of sleep per night (3.3% for both).

"Sleep is often overlooked as something that may play a role in cardiovascular disease, and it may be among the most cost-effective ways to lower cardiovascular risk," Gupta said in a statement. "Based on our data, sleeping six to seven hours a night is associated with more favorable heart health."