Study shows insomnia could increase the risk of stroke

People who find it difficult falling asleep in the night might be suffering from a health condition known as insomnia. Although the problem is not very serious, but a new research has warned that people with such a condition might be at a higher risk for stroke. The new study has been published in Neurology that has indicated about a link between risk of stroke and insomnia. The researchers studied nearly 31,126 people who were in an average age of 61 years and did not have any history of stroke at the beginning of the study.

The patients answered questions on how frequently they had faced trouble falling asleep in the night, waking up too early, waking up during the night  or not able to return to sleep. The severity of the symptoms was analysed by the researchers on the scale of one to ten, where one is less severe and ten is more severe. It was found that the participants (under the age of 50) who experienced  five to eight symptoms of insomnia were at fifty one percent higher risk of stroke, compared to those who did not have any symptoms. On the other hand participants 50 years or older  who had five to eight symptoms had a 38 percent increased risk of stroke when compared to  people who did not have any symptoms at all.

The difference in the risk in the age groups could be due to the fact that the risk of stroke is higher in older age. There are some of the factors  that could increase the risk of stroke and include diabetes and high blood pressure issues that are common among older people. This makes insomnia a symptom that could be one of the many factors.

This has also indicated that it is wise to manage the symptoms of insomnia at an early age so the risk of stroke decreases significantly. Amit Sachdev M.D. director at Division of Neuromuscular  medici9ne at Michigan State University defined insomnia as a condition where a person finds it difficult to fall asleep or staying asleep.

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