News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Naps May Reduce Heart Risk
Naps may help reduce the risk of dying from heart problems, suggests a study from Greece. The study tracked 23,681 healthy Greek adults for an average of six years. Most were in their 50s. Taking a half-hour nap at least three times a week seemed to help the heart. People who took naps had a 37% lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than people who didn't nap. The Associated Press reported on the study February 12. It was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
What Is the Doctor's Reaction?
Could napping be good for your health? According to a new study, it could prevent a fatal heart attack.
The study was just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers enrolled more than 23,000 healthy adult men and women living in Greece. Study subjects were asked about their health, risk factors for heart disease, diet and physical activity. They were also asked whether they took afternoon naps.
In a six-year period, the risk of dying of heart disease was 37% lower among those who took naps regularly. Napping was defined as sleeping during the day for at least 30 minutes, three times each week.
The results were even more dramatic for working men. They had a 64% lower risk of heart-related death if they took naps regularly. There were too few deaths among working women to make a similar assessment.
How might napping reduce the risk of heart disease? The authors of this new research suggest that people who nap lower their stress levels, and that stress reduction protects the heart.
It makes sense. But it's hard to confirm that stress is the most important factor. Clearly, everyone experiences stress. Yet, many stressed people remain perfectly healthy.
One reason the connection between stress and disease is hard to prove is that it’s not easy to define stress. Dictionary definitions include terms such as "strain" or "tension." But there are several types of stress, including emotional, psychological and physical stress. What about "good stress" such as getting married or winning the lottery?
Even if we could agree on what stress is, it's not easy to measure. Is it more stressful to lose a parent or get divorced?
Finally, stress affects different people in different ways. Some people actually seek out stressful situations because they feel better or perform better in those situations. Under similar stresses, others don't fare as well.
If taking a nap in the midst of a workday lowers stress and reduces the risk of a heart attack, doctors, employers and those interested in public health should be encouraging people to take naps. The evidence isn't strong enough just yet. If these results are confirmed, that could change.
What Changes Can I Make Now?
Based on this new research, you may want to make time for a brief nap at least several days a week.
More well-established changes you can make to protect your heart include:
* Not smoking
* Getting your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checked -- If any of them is consistently high, improve it with diet, exercise and, if necessary, medications.
* Increasing your activity level -- Besides improving sense of well-being and reducing stress (see below), regular exercise can lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight. That can lower the risk of diabetes (a major risk factor for heart disease).
For most people, removing all stress is impossible. However, it is possible to change how you respond to stress. Napping may reduce stress, but there are other ways to do it. For example:
* Learn relaxation techniques, such as meditation or progressive relaxation. It may take time and practice, but these techniques can actually lower blood pressure, heart rate and potentially harmful stress hormones.
* Protect yourself from excessive stress. Don't make commitments or take on responsibilities that are unreasonable or unrealistic.
* Make lists and schedule time to address the biggest priorities first.
* Break your workload down into small "bites" that don't seem so overwhelming.
* Change your choice of beverage. Caffeine and excessive alcohol may worsen the effects of stress.
* Exercise regularly. Just about any exercise can reduce stress. However, current guidelines for cardiovascular fitness suggest moderate intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week
* Be social. Coping with stress can be easier when you have supportive friends and family. Studies suggest that having social connections with others may improve overall health.
* See a therapist. Meeting with a counselor can help you learn ways to cope with stress, handle conflicts and avoid stressful situations. Medications can help when you are overwhelmed by stress or when significant anxiety or depression prevent you from coping effectively.
What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?
Many will view the finding that napping is good for the heart as news that is too good to be true. So, you can expect additional studies to try to confirm these findings and to compare napping with other stress reduction techniques (including exercise).
Even if the results are confirmed, it's not clear that more people will take afternoon naps. Most U.S. workplaces are not set up for napping and many bosses would likely frown upon the lost productivity.
Then again, napping may prove to be one of the easiest, safest and most effective ways to improve heart health. Healthier employees could offset the lost productivity associated with napping during work. The only major side effect of napping is one most people won't mind: feeling well-rested.
Naps may help reduce the risk of dying from heart problems, suggests a study from Greece. The study tracked 23,681 healthy Greek adults for an average of six years. Most were in their 50s. Taking a half-hour nap at least three times a week seemed to help the heart. People who took naps had a 37% lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than people who didn't nap. The Associated Press reported on the study February 12. It was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
What Is the Doctor's Reaction?
Could napping be good for your health? According to a new study, it could prevent a fatal heart attack.
The study was just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers enrolled more than 23,000 healthy adult men and women living in Greece. Study subjects were asked about their health, risk factors for heart disease, diet and physical activity. They were also asked whether they took afternoon naps.
In a six-year period, the risk of dying of heart disease was 37% lower among those who took naps regularly. Napping was defined as sleeping during the day for at least 30 minutes, three times each week.
The results were even more dramatic for working men. They had a 64% lower risk of heart-related death if they took naps regularly. There were too few deaths among working women to make a similar assessment.
How might napping reduce the risk of heart disease? The authors of this new research suggest that people who nap lower their stress levels, and that stress reduction protects the heart.
It makes sense. But it's hard to confirm that stress is the most important factor. Clearly, everyone experiences stress. Yet, many stressed people remain perfectly healthy.
One reason the connection between stress and disease is hard to prove is that it’s not easy to define stress. Dictionary definitions include terms such as "strain" or "tension." But there are several types of stress, including emotional, psychological and physical stress. What about "good stress" such as getting married or winning the lottery?
Even if we could agree on what stress is, it's not easy to measure. Is it more stressful to lose a parent or get divorced?
Finally, stress affects different people in different ways. Some people actually seek out stressful situations because they feel better or perform better in those situations. Under similar stresses, others don't fare as well.
If taking a nap in the midst of a workday lowers stress and reduces the risk of a heart attack, doctors, employers and those interested in public health should be encouraging people to take naps. The evidence isn't strong enough just yet. If these results are confirmed, that could change.
What Changes Can I Make Now?
Based on this new research, you may want to make time for a brief nap at least several days a week.
More well-established changes you can make to protect your heart include:
* Not smoking
* Getting your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checked -- If any of them is consistently high, improve it with diet, exercise and, if necessary, medications.
* Increasing your activity level -- Besides improving sense of well-being and reducing stress (see below), regular exercise can lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight. That can lower the risk of diabetes (a major risk factor for heart disease).
For most people, removing all stress is impossible. However, it is possible to change how you respond to stress. Napping may reduce stress, but there are other ways to do it. For example:
* Learn relaxation techniques, such as meditation or progressive relaxation. It may take time and practice, but these techniques can actually lower blood pressure, heart rate and potentially harmful stress hormones.
* Protect yourself from excessive stress. Don't make commitments or take on responsibilities that are unreasonable or unrealistic.
* Make lists and schedule time to address the biggest priorities first.
* Break your workload down into small "bites" that don't seem so overwhelming.
* Change your choice of beverage. Caffeine and excessive alcohol may worsen the effects of stress.
* Exercise regularly. Just about any exercise can reduce stress. However, current guidelines for cardiovascular fitness suggest moderate intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week
* Be social. Coping with stress can be easier when you have supportive friends and family. Studies suggest that having social connections with others may improve overall health.
* See a therapist. Meeting with a counselor can help you learn ways to cope with stress, handle conflicts and avoid stressful situations. Medications can help when you are overwhelmed by stress or when significant anxiety or depression prevent you from coping effectively.
What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?
Many will view the finding that napping is good for the heart as news that is too good to be true. So, you can expect additional studies to try to confirm these findings and to compare napping with other stress reduction techniques (including exercise).
Even if the results are confirmed, it's not clear that more people will take afternoon naps. Most U.S. workplaces are not set up for napping and many bosses would likely frown upon the lost productivity.
Then again, napping may prove to be one of the easiest, safest and most effective ways to improve heart health. Healthier employees could offset the lost productivity associated with napping during work. The only major side effect of napping is one most people won't mind: feeling well-rested.
