Nov 20, 2013 05:14 PM EST By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

An association has been found between insomnia, a common sleep disorder, and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have found that some insomnia symptoms are associated with an increased risk of mortality related to heart disease in men.

"Insomnia is a common health issue, particularly in older adults, but the link between this common sleep disorder and its impact on the risk of death has been unclear," Yanping Li, PhD, a research fellow in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH, said in a statement. "Our research shows that among men who experience specific symptoms of insomnia, there is a modest increase risk in death from cardiovascular-related issues."

Researchers followed 23,000 men who self-reported insomnia symptoms for about six years. From 2004 to 2010, they documented 2,025 deaths using information from government and family sources.

They adjusted the study for lifestyle factors, age and other chronic conditions.

Based on the study, researchers found men who reported difficulty initiating sleep and non-restorative sleep had a 55 percent and 32 percent increased risk of cardiovascular-related mortality over the six year follow up, when compared to men who did not report these insomnia-related symptoms.

"We know that sleep is important for cardiovascular health and many studies have linked poor or insufficient sleep with increased risk factors for cardiovascular-related diseases," Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, a researcher in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH and senior author of this study, said in a statement. "Now we know that not only can poor sleep impact disease risk, but it may also impact our longevity. While further research is necessary to confirm these findings, there is overwhelming evidence that practicing good sleep hygiene and prioritizing sufficient and restful sleep is an often overlooked but important modifiable risk factor in overall health."

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