Depression and poor sleep are important heart disease risk factors

Disrupted circadian rhythms contribute to heart disease risk.
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A international collaborative study led by Professor Paul Zimmet has recommended including poor sleep quality and depression in heart disease risk equations. 

Globally, heart disease is a major threat to human health. The identification of its risk is vital for its prevention. To date, the cluster of risk factors used as an index for predicting heart disease is collectively known as the 'metabolic syndrome'. They include high blood pressure, blood lipids and sugar, and also obesity.

Body clock linked to healthy ticker

Article reproduced courtesy Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering

While many innovations improve our health, our tech-heavy lifestyles can have unintended side effects. Academy Fellow Professor Paul Zimmet AO has suggested that modern disruption of our “body clocks” may increase rates of heart disease, diabetes and depression.

He calls this “Circadian Syndrome” and is spearheading a joint initiative from Monash University, Tel Aviv University and Imperial College, London to have the term recognised internationally.

Upset ‘body clocks’ may be driving heart disease epidemic

by Anne Crawford

A Monash University researcher is warning that circadian rhythm disturbance –  disruptions to our ‘body clock’ – may be a common factor behind the global diabetes, obesity and heart disease epidemics.

Professor Paul Zimmet AO

Professor Paul Zimmet AO said studies suggest circadian disturbance may be a feature of the cluster of heart disease risk factors including obesity, elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar levels (prediabetes and diabetes) and blood cholesterol collectively called the Metabolic Syndrome.

“There’s a clear clinical situation in about 30 to 40 percent of adult Australians where a number of important cardiovascular disease risk factors come together,” Professor Zimmet said. “And people who have these risk factors are more likely to get co-morbidities such as sleep apnoea, depression, fatty liver disease and cognitive disability,” he said.

“No-one’s proposed that all of the things we’re talking about – both the cardiometabolic ones plus the co-morbidities – are linked together by disturbed circadian rhythm. We’re proposing that ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ be renamed ‘Circadian Syndrome’.”