London - Having a lie in or rising early might seem harmless enough.
But the wrong amount of sleep could double the risk of a stroke among people with high blood pressure, researchers say.
Those with hypertension – the medical term for high blood pressure – already have a higher risk of stroke.
Now a study suggests that persistent sleep problems are another risk factor. Dr Oluwaseun Akinseye, of Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, and colleagues analysed almost 204 000 hypertensive adults in the US using data from the National Health Interview Survey.
They found the lowest risk of having a stroke – five percent – was among people with high blood pressure who had a regular seven to eight hours of sleep.
The study found the risk for stroke was almost 14 percent among long sleepers, who had more than eight hours. Sleepers who managed less than five hours had a stroke risk of 11 percent.
Another group of short sleepers who got between five and six hours a night had a risk of six percent.
The findings were presented at an American Society of Hypertension meeting held in New York.
There are six million Britons who are taking drugs to control their blood pressure which is an important risk factor for early death, heart attacks and strokes.
Daily Mail