Insomnia at a young age increased the risk of early development of atrial fibrillation
Insomnia in young adults has been linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. It is important to maintain healthy sleep by eliminating anxiety and stress and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including increasing physical activity, modifying diet and reducing caffeine intake.Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina studied the effect of insomnia on the risk of early development of atrial fibrillation in young adults. The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
The presence of insomnia increased the risk of developing atrial fibrillation by 32%. Among veterans with insomnia, the development of atrial fibrillation was observed two years earlier compared to participants without insomnia. The relationship was significant even after excluding participants with sleep apnea (risk ratio was 1.38).
They analyzed data from more than 1 million US veterans who were discharged from service in 2001 and were followed through 2017. The mean age of participants was 29 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 10 years. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was assessed according to age, gender, lifestyle, comorbidities including obstructive sleep apnea and psychiatric disorders. During the entire follow-up period, 4168 cases of atrial fibrillation development were recorded (0.42 cases per 1000 person-years).
The authors emphasize that difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep is an early risk factor for atrial fibrillation and remind the importance of maintaining a healthy sleep pattern by addressing anxiety and stress, lifestyle changes including increased physical activity, dietary changes, and reducing caffeine intake at a young age.