LAUSR

Short sleep duration has a substantial influence on the overall health of an individual. Short sleep time can be a consequence of lifestyle habits, environmental factors, or the presence of a sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep-disordered breathing. Short sleep time is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, mainly from cardiovascular disorders (including coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and hypertension). Several biological mechanisms have been proposed as a possible link between short sleep duration and these diseases, such as involvement of the autonomic nervous system, endothelial function, metabolic regulation, inflammation, and the coagulation system. In this Review, we provide an overview on the effects of short sleep duration on cardiovascular health and diseases and discuss the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved, taking into account both experimental data and clinical evidence.This Review describes the effects of short sleep duration on cardiovascular health and diseases, and the authors discuss the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved, taking into account both experimental data and clinical evidence.Key pointsRegardless of the underlying cause, short duration of sleep seems to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality.Experimental data show that sleep deprivation causes important alterations in several intermediate biological mechanisms, such as the autonomic nervous system, endothelial function, insulin and glucose regulation, inflammation, and coagulation.Although a causal relationship between short sleep duration and cardiovascular risk is not confirmed, most of the data indicate a strong link between short sleep times and diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders.Physicians should consider sleep to be a modifiable risk factor for health status, with particular relevance to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.