Like staying up late? You may be putting yourself at risk of heart problems

"Staying up late to binge a favorite TV show or go out with friends can be one of life's simple pleasures. But being a habitual night owlespecially if you are a womanmay be putting your heart at risk, new research suggests. In a study of more than 320,000 adults, researchers found that participants who described themselves as definitely an evening' person were about 16 percent more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared with those who didn't report a strong bedtime preference."

"The study was partially funded by the American Heart Association (AHA) and published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today."

"The findings jibe with existing AHA guidance that people should aim to get a good night's sleep to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But it wasn't clear how circadian misalignmentthe mismatch between the body's internal clock and the times at which people actually go to sleep and wake upmight affect heart heath. Such a mismatch can throw off how our brain responds to reward signalsand that could lead to people engaging in riskier behaviors, the researchers say."

More than 320,000 adults were analyzed and people who identified as definite evening types had about a 16 percent higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those without a strong bedtime preference. Evening chronotypes more often exhibited behaviors linked to cardiovascular risk, including poorer diet quality, smoking, and inadequate or irregular sleep. Circadian misalignment, the mismatch between the body's internal clock and actual sleep and wake times, can alter brain reward responses and may promote riskier behaviors. Good-quality nighttime sleep is recommended to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Awareness of chronotype-related risks could inform prevention strategies for cardiovascular health.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com