iTWire - Bad sleep for teens raises risk of high blood pressure

Bad sleep for teens raises risk of high blood pressure

by William Atkins
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Page 2 of 3 The researchers found that low sleep efficiency occurred in 26% of the adolescents, while short sleep duration occurred in 11% of them. At the same time, pre-hypertension or hypertension occurred in 14% of the adolescents. Pre-hypertension is a condition where a person's blood pressure (systolic and diastolic blood pressures) is elevated above normal but not to a level at which the condition of hypertension (high blood pressure) occurs. However, the researchers found, with regards to “unadjusted” data, that the pre-hypertension increased 4.5 times in adolescents with low sleep efficiency and 2.8 times in those children with short sleep duration. With regards to data adjusted for age, sex, body mass, and other related factors, pre-hypertension increased 3.5 times for adolescents with low sleep efficiency and 2.5 times for those with short sleep duration. The researchers concluded that: “Poor sleep quality is associated with prehypertension in healthy adolescents.” They added: “Associations are not explained by socioeconomic status, obesity, sleep apnea, or known comorbidities, suggesting that inadequate sleep quality is associated with elevated blood pressure.” How does music and cell phones fit into this medical problem? Please read page three. << First page < 1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

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