6 May 2025 • A recent study has spotlighted short sleep duration as a major risk factor for carotid plaque.

In a nearly 4-year follow-up of 1,004 adults, 21.3% developed plaques, with those sleeping less than 7 hours facing a 58% higher risk compared to those getting 7-9 hours.

Short sleepers were nearly three times more likely to develop thicker plaques and over twice as likely to have multiple plaques (HR 2.96 and HR 2.57, respectively). These risks persisted even in those with low-to-intermediate cardiovascular disease risk.

Longer sleep durations showed no added risk, making short sleep a potential target for early atherosclerosis prevention.

Source: AHA Journal | Read Full Story