Lack of sleep and cholesterol
Blood cholesterol levels are usually associated with nutrition. And about five years ago, people had a clear idea that high cholesterol is bad, and it rises from eating excessive amounts of fat. Now people understand that cholesterol is necessary for a person, which is “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Not all food with excess fat is harmful, only saturated fats from animal food (meat and fatty dairy products) are harmful, and even in small quantities they are necessary for man. Proper nutrition – the basis of good health. Excess cholesterol is a risk of cardiovascular disease. Honor Whiteman, a journalist with medical education from Medical News Today, writes that research from scientists showed that the cause of CVD is not only nutrition, but also lack of sleep. Scientific Reports magazine published the results of a recent study of a group of scientists from the Medical University of Helsinki (Finland), which state that a systematic lack of sleep leads to a change in cholesterol levels. And it goes at the genetic level: loss of sleep leads to changes in the genes responsible for regulating cholesterol levels. As a result, the level of high–density lipoproteins (“good” cholesterol), which is responsible for removing cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, decreases. As a result, atherosclerosis and other diseases associated with high levels of “bad” serum cholesterol can occur. The experiment involved 21 volunteers, for five days the participants were under the supervision of a physician in the laboratory. 14 volunteers slept no more than 4 hours a day, the rest – enough for them. Gene analysis was performed daily and blood was collected for cholesterol. Already in 5 days, the activity of genes responsible for regulating the level of lipoproteins decreased in the group of low–sleeping ones. Next, an analysis of nutrition, lifestyle, metabolic syndrome and other health indicators of 2737 volunteers among the Finnish population was carried out. The results confirmed laboratory studies: lack of sleep leads to a change in cholesterol regulation at the genetic level. Therefore, if parents sleep a little, their children may suffer the same problems. And this means that there is a genetic predisposition to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.