- Speak for the Heart is now Positive Vibes!
- Posts
- Stress, Insomnia Linked to Irregular Heart Rhythm
Stress, Insomnia Linked to Irregular Heart Rhythm
And more weekly heart-health news
Yasmine S. Ali, MD
September 06, 2023
Hello again!
I hope you had a happy, safe, and restful Labor Day holiday. As you’ll see from the first story below in this issue of heart-health news, rest and adequate sleep are not just luxuries, but essential to heart health and well-being. De-stressing and getting enough sleep literally help to keep your heart in rhythm.
(For new subscribers): This weekly update goes out every Wednesday, except for the final Wednesday of the month, when the long magazine-style version of Speak for the Heart will be delivered to your inbox. As always, premium subscribers get bonus content in every issue!
To your health,
Yasmine S. Ali, MD
Weekly Heart-Health News: The Highlights
My Take:
This is certainly not the first study to link stress and sleep deprivation to the irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, but this one focuses specifically on postmenopausal women and highlights an important point, as articulated by lead study author and cardiologist, Dr. Susan Zhao: “In my general cardiology practice, I see many postmenopausal women with picture-perfect physical health who struggle with poor sleep and negative psychosocial emotional feelings or experience, which we now know may put them at risk for developing atrial fibrillation.”
Because I’ve heard from so many readers who struggle with both stress and insomnia (and the two are related), I’ll continue to focus on the topics of stress reduction and relief as well as sleep hygiene throughout these newsletters.
And speaking of sleep hygiene, in case you missed it from one of my prior newsletters, here’s a great article from the AARP:
My Take:
Several of the drugs on this list treat heart disease or related illnesses. As noted in the article: “The initial set of drugs was chosen from the top 50 eligible Part D drugs that have the highest total expenditures in Medicare. … The first 10 drugs accounted for $50.5 billion, or about 20%, in total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023.”
Given that cardiovascular disease and diabetes (which are related illnesses) account for the largest total health care costs in the developed world, it comes as no surprise to me that so many of the drugs at the top of this list are in those therapeutic areas.
This price negotiation is by no means a done deal, and pharmaceutical companies have already filed multiple lawsuits to stop it. So we’ll see what happens …
This Week’s Quick Poll:
What is your major barrier to getting enough sleep?(Your answer is always anonymous and not linked to you.) |
Study Finds Telling Symptoms Day Before Cardiac Arrest
And a key difference between men and women …
Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.
A subscription gets you:
- • Exclusive, bonus content in EVERY issue!
- • FREE Premium Health Guides and Heart-Health Tip Sheets, as soon as they are released!
- • Access to "Cooking with a Cardiologist," including restaurant guides, heart-healthy recipes, meal plans, cookbook recommendations, videos, and more!
- • Special subscriber discounts on future products (e-books, workbooks, courses, webinars, live events, calendars, merchandise, etc.)
- • Eligible for special Premium subscriber giveaways!
- • Lifestyle tips and strategies with actionable advice for promoting heart health and cardiovascular well-being