Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
06:39
Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings
Published on: June 13, 2025
Insomnia and endothelial function - the HUNT 3 fitness study
Linn B Strand1, Lars E Laugsand, Eli-Anne Skaug
1Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. linn.b.strand@ntnu.no
Plos One
|December 14, 2012
Summary
This study found no clear link between insomnia and endothelial function, a marker of early atherosclerosis. However, early morning awakenings in women may be associated with poorer endothelial function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Atherosclerosis Research
Background:
- Insomnia is a known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Mechanisms linking insomnia to CHD remain unclear.
- Endothelial function, a marker of preclinical atherosclerosis, has not been studied in relation to insomnia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between insomnia symptoms and endothelial function.
- To assess endothelial function as a potential mechanism linking insomnia to coronary heart disease.
- To analyze data from a large population-based study of healthy individuals.
Main Methods:
- Included 4,739 participants without pre-existing cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other relevant conditions.
- Assessed insomnia symptoms including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, early awakenings, and daytime sleepiness.
- Measured endothelial function using brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
Main Results:
- No consistent association was found between overall insomnia symptoms and endothelial function in adjusted models.
- A potential association was observed between early morning awakenings and lower endothelial function in women (p=0.03).
Conclusions:
- Endothelial function does not appear to be a significant mediator linking insomnia to coronary heart disease.
- Further research is necessary to understand the complex relationship between sleep disturbances and cardiovascular disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Insomnia
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
Multiple factors contribute...
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
01:19Management of Insomnia
The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
01:30Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Hypertension is asymptomatic and also referred to as the "silent killer" until it progresses to a severe stage or causes target organ disease. Patients may experience symptoms stemming from the strain on blood vessels and tissues in various organs or the heart's increased workload.Physical exams might show no abnormalities other than high blood pressure. Signs of vascular damage, when present, correspond to the organs supplied by the affected vessels, leading to target organ damage. For...
01:11Understanding Sleep
Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...