Just 3 days of this bad habit can increase your risk of heart disease — even in young, healthy people

Snooze to your heart’s content.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, claiming the lives of about 700,000 Americans each year. Heart health is influenced by several lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, weight, stress and sleep quality.

A new study finds that just three nights of sleep deprivation can increase the risk of heart disease — even in young and healthy adults.

“Many of the larger studies that have been done on the link between sleep deprivation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases have generally focused on slightly older individuals who already have an increased risk of such diseases,” said study leader Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, a docent at Uppsala University in Sweden.

Cedernaes’ team had 16 healthy young men with good sleep habits visit a sleep lab, where their meals and activity levels were strictly controlled.

In one session, the guys got a normal amount of sleep for three consecutive nights. In the other session, they only snoozed for about four hours each night.

Experts generally recommend that adults get seven to nine hours of nightly slumber. Sleep deprivation has been linked to impaired cognitive function, a weakened immune system, poorer mental health and increased risk of accidents, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

Morning and evening blood samples were drawn during both experimental sessions, as well as after 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise.

The researchers measured about 90 proteins in the blood. Many of the levels of proteins associated with inflammation rose after the sleepless nights.

Inflammation can be good and bad. Inflammation is the body’s natural chemical response to an irritant or injury.

Chronic inflammation — when the response continues well after the threat has passed — can damage blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

“It was interesting that the levels of these proteins increased … in younger and previously perfectly healthy individuals after only a few nights of sleep deprivation,” Cedernaes said.

“This means that it’s important to emphasize the importance of sleep for cardiovascular health even early in life.”

The good news is that the proteins linked to the positive effects of exercise increased in participants, even if they slept poorly.

“With this study, we have improved our understanding of what role the amount of sleep we get plays in cardiovascular health,” Cedernaes said.

“It’s important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause,” he added. “But it’s also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep.”

The findings were published last month in the journal Biomarker Research.

Cedernaes said further studies should explore the effects of sleep deprivation in women, older people, unusual sleepers and those with heart disease.

“Our ongoing research will hopefully help to develop better guidelines on how sleep, exercise and other lifestyle factors can be harnessed to better prevent cardiovascular diseases,” he said.