Insomnia and hypertension: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Insomnia is a common sleep disorder linked to adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease.
• Hypertension and blood pressure (BP) non-dipping are significant precursors to cardiovascular disease.
• Understanding the relationship between insomnia and hypertension is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing evidence on the concurrent and prospective associations between insomnia and hypertension/BP.
• To synthesize findings regarding the impact of insomnia characteristics on hypertension risk.
• To identify gaps in current research on the insomnia-hypertension link.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO databases.
• 64 studies published between 1970 and 2017, involving 26 to 162,121 participants, were included.
• Insomnia and hypertension were assessed using various diagnostic and measured criteria.

Main Results:

• Frequent, chronic insomnia, especially with short sleep duration or arousal markers, shows a strong association with hypertension/BP.
• Hypertension predicted future insomnia in older adults but not middle-aged adults in limited studies.
• Case-control studies predominantly found no significant BP differences between individuals with and without insomnia.

Conclusions:

• A robust association exists between specific insomnia patterns and hypertension/BP.
• The prospective relationship between hypertension and insomnia appears age-dependent.
• Further research is required to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms and evaluate the effect of insomnia treatment on BP.