Siestas once or twice a week may cut heart attack risk by half
A daytime nap taken once or twice a week could halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to new research. But no such link was established for more frequent siestas or napping duration.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/sb
العربية
ar
القيام بقيلولة مرة أو مرّتيْن في الأسبوع قد يقلل خطر الإصابة بالنوبات القلبية إلى النصف
What are the beneficial effects of having a daytime snooze? Their impact on the heart has been researched in detail but many published studies have not examined the question of frequency.
New research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Heart publicationExternal link looked at the relationship between napping frequency and average nap duration and the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease incidents, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
Analysing the results from 3,462 randomly selected residents aged 35-75 who live in Lausanne in western Switzerland, the researchers found that occasional napping, once to twice weekly, was associated with an almost halving in attack/stroke/heart failure risk (48%) compared with those who didn’t nap at all.
But no association was found for more frequent siestas or napping duration, the researchers said.
For the study, participants were registered between 2009 and 2012 and their health was monitored for an average of five years. During the monitoring period, there were 155 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease ‘events’.
During interviews, over half (58%) of the participants said they hadn’t napped during the previous week; around one in five (19%, 667) said they had taken one to two naps; around one in ten (12%, 411) said they had taken three to five; while a similar proportion (11%, 370) said they had taken six to seven.
Fans of daytime siestas (3-7 naps a week) tended to be older, male, smokers, weigh more, and sleep longer at night than those who said they didn’t nap during the day.
The authors of the study published online in the journal Heart, said: “The study of napping is a challenging, but also a promising field with potentially significant public health implications. While there remain more questions than answers, it is time to start unveiling the power of naps for a supercharged heart.”
More
More
Rocking improves both sleep and memory
This content was published on
The findings could be used to treat sleep and memory disorders, say the universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), which carried out the research. In a controlled test, 18 healthy young adults spent two nights at the HUG Sleep Medicine Centre, once on a swaying bed and the other…
French cross-border workers in Switzerland fear “discriminatory” unemployment reform
This content was published on
In the French region around Geneva, cross-border workers are protesting proposals to cut unemployment benefits for those working in Switzerland.
Swan infected with bird flu in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland has reported its first bird flu case of the season. A swan found dead in central Switzerland tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Swiss researchers identify gene variants linked to cancer progression
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers explored genetic mutations’ effects on cell function and their role in cancer development and treatment using CRISPR/Cas techniques.
Explosion at Swiss company Givaudan’s US plant leaves two dead
This content was published on
Swiss flavour and fragrance maker Givaudan reported that an explosion at its Kentucky plant resulted in two deaths and several injuries.
Swisscom’s Vodafone Italia takeover cleared by Italian telecoms authority
This content was published on
Swisscom is one step closer to its planned acquisition of Vodafone Italia, as the Italian communications regulator has approved the €8 billion deal.
Swiss parliamentary committee proposes foreign aid cuts and military funding boost
This content was published on
A committee of the Swiss House of Representatives has proposed increasing funds for the military and agriculture while reducing foreign aid and asylum.
Swiss Rolex Submariner watches reach nearly $50 billion in total market value
This content was published on
The total market value of all Rolex Submariner watches ever made is nearly $50 billion, based on newly released production data.
Swiss Jew wrongfully detained due to prosecutor’s ‘bias’
This content was published on
A Jewish Swiss man was detained after the prosecutor argued he might flee to Israel. The Federal Court said this implies bias due to his Jewish faith.
US reportedly scrutinises Russian accounts UBS took over from Credit Suisse
This content was published on
The US is investigating Russian clients acquired by UBS during its takeover of Credit Suisse, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
WTO plans to reappoint Okonjo-Iweala before Trump swears in
This content was published on
Some member states of the World Trade Organization may seek to reappoint Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, according to a document released on Tuesday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
You can learn a new language when deeply asleep
This content was published on
Research: it's possible to learn new vocabulary in a foreign language during certain phases of deep sleep and retrieve it unconsciously when awake.
This content was published on
The findings could be used to treat sleep and memory disorders, say the universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), which carried out the research. In a controlled test, 18 healthy young adults spent two nights at the HUG Sleep Medicine Centre, once on a swaying bed and the other…
Sleeping and waking controlled by same part of brain
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have shown that a single area of the brain – the thalamus – is responsible both for the actions of falling asleep and waking up.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.