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People with sleep disorders may have increased stroke risk

Study found people with sleep disorders may have higher risk of having a stroke
Study found people with sleep disorders may have higher risk of having a stroke 01:16

MIAMI - If you're having trouble sleeping, a new study shows you may have an increased risk of stroke.

The study, published in Journal Neurology, looked at the sleep habits of nearly 45 hundred people, their average age was 62.

Researchers quizzed them about sleep behaviors, including getting too much sleep or not enough, long naps, poor quality sleep, snoring, snorting, and sleep apnea.

It found that people who slept for too long or not long enough were more likely to have a stroke.

Researchers reported those who had five or more sleep symptoms could have five times the risk of stroke compared to those with no sleep issues. The study also revealed people who got less than five hours of sleep a night were three times more likely to have a stroke than those who got seven hours of sleep on average.

About 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and about one in three adults don't get the recommended seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association.

People with sleep apnea were nearly three times more likely to have a stroke than those without the condition, and those who snored were 91 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who didn't.

The research does not show that sleeping problems cause stroke, only that they are an associated risk. But researchers say improving sleep may improve your chances of avoiding a stroke.

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