According to a new study, catching up on sleep at the weekend is associated with better heart health and a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure.
Researchers at Korea University followed nearly 41,000 participants over a seven-year period and presented their findings this weekend at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich.
The study stated: “Overall among participants, catching up on sleep at the weekend was associated with a lower likelihood of developing high blood pressure.”
The research added that “moderate weekend catch-up sleep” (about two hours) was associated with a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure.
The study noted: “Although physical activity still plays a central role in preventing hypertension, moderate weekend catch-up sleep may confer additional benefits for people who do not get sufficient physical activity.”
One of the paper’s authors, Dr. Nathun Lee of Korea University in Seoul, told the Times: “Sleep deprivation places extra strain on the body.”
“This condition makes the heart and blood vessels work harder and may raise blood pressure. A little extra sleep at the weekend may give the body a chance to recover and reduce some of that strain.”
The study confirmed that insufficient sleep and physical inactivity remain common risk factors for heart health and explained that weekend catch-up sleep can compensate for weekday sleep deficits.
Participants who were physically inactive benefited more, with their risk of developing high blood pressure reduced by 6.9 percent.
The review found that an extra one hour and 27 minutes of sleep appeared to provide the greatest benefit for blood pressure and was associated with a 9 percent lower chance of developing high blood pressure.
However, the risk of developing high blood pressure increased in people who slept more than four hours extra.
A study published earlier this year in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be recommended to people with high blood pressure seeking to bring it to healthier levels.
The report showed that experts from Brazil pooled data from 31 studies on hypertension and exercise and found that both high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and combined training effectively reduce blood pressure.
The report also emphasized the benefits of aerobic exercises such as jogging, cycling or swimming in controlling high blood pressure.
However, evidence on yoga, Pilates and recreational sports is “still limited and imprecise,” and researchers called for more studies to assess their impact on blood pressure.