Stress and insomnia linked to irregular heart rhythm after menopause

Insomnia and stressful life events may explain why some women develop an irregular heart rhythm after menopause, 新研究发现.

Psychosocial factors are "the missing piece to the puzzle" that can lead to atrial fibrillation, 或AFib, 该研究的主要作者说. 研究结果周三发表在《线上电子游戏飞禽走兽》杂志上 美国心脏协会杂志.

"I see many postmenopausal women with picture-perfect physical health who struggle with poor sleep and negative psychological emotional feelings or experience, which we now know may put them at risk for developing atrial fibrillation,第一作者Dr. 苏珊X. 赵说。 线上电子游戏飞禽走兽发布会上. Zhao is a cardiologist at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in California.

Traditional AFib risk factors include older age, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. 心律不规律可能导致血栓, 中风, 心力衰竭和其他心血管疾病. AFib primarily affects older adults, and more than 12 million people in the U.S. 预计到2030年开发它，根据 美国心脏协会统计数据.

Previous studies have shown that because women live longer than men, they may face higher risk and worse outcomes related to AFib.

Researchers analyzed data of more than 83,000 women who participated in the 妇女健康倡议这是美国正在进行的一项健康研究. The women's ages ranged from 50 to 79, and the majority were white.

The participants answered questions about stressful life events, 比如失去所爱的人, 疾病, 离婚, 财务压力, 和国内, 口头, 身体或性虐待. Questions about their sleeping habits focused on overall quality and if they had trouble falling asleep or woke up during the night. Other questions addressed their life and social supports and their sense of optimism.

More than 1 in 4 participants developed AFib during an average follow-up period of about a decade. For each additional point on the insomnia scale, there was a 4% higher likelihood of developing AFib. Each additional point on the stressful life event scale resulted in a 2% higher likelihood of the heart condition.

"The heart and brain connection has been long established in many conditions," Zhao said. AFib "is prone to hormonal changes stemming from stress and poor sleep. These common pathways likely underpin the association between stress and insomnia with atrial fibrillation." Stressful life events, however, though significant and traumatic, may not last long, she said.

The reliance on patient questionnaires at the start of the study limited the research, 作者说. They called for more research to confirm the links between psychosocial stress, 情绪健康和心房纤颤的发展.