18 Jun To Your Health: Insomnia Can Kill
Dr. Alan Safdi is a world-renowned internist and gastroenterologist with encyclopedic knowledge of mind-body wellness and preventative medicine. He posts on Telluride Inside… and Out under the banner of “To Your Health, his blogs featuring the most current information in his field: health, wellness, and longevity.
This summer, Dr. Alan returns with his popular Live Longer Retreat wellness intensives. The dates so far are July 21 – July 29; Aug. 11 – Aug. 17; and Sept. 15 – Sept. 21, 2019. For further information, email telluridecme@gmail.com. or go to Safdi’s Telluride Longevity Institute website.
This week, we are giving Dr. Alan a time-out and instead curating this woke article by Jane Brody for The New York Times. Apparently “Insomnia Can Kill.” Chronic insomnia is linked to an increased risk of developing hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
For more, read on.
Image, Gracia Lam, The New York Times.
How did you sleep last night? If you’re over 65, I hope it was better than many others your age. In a study by the National Institute on Aging of over 9,000 Americans aged 65 and older, more than half said they had difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Many others who believe they spend an adequate number of hours asleep nonetheless complain of not feeling rested when they get up.
Chronic insomnia, which affects 5 percent to 10 percent of older adults, is more than just exhausting. It’s also linked to an increased risk of developing hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, depression, anxiety and premature death.
It may also be a risk factor for dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies based on more than 1,700 men and women followed over many years by researchers at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine found that the risk of developing hypertension was five times greater among those who slept less than five hours a night and three and a half times greater for those who slept between five and six hours. But there was no increased risk among those who regularly slept six or more hours. Likewise, the risk of developing diabetes was three times greater for the shortest sleepers and twice as great for those who slept between five and six hours.
People with insomnia often complain that they can’t concentrate or focus and have memory problems. While the evidence for this is inconsistent, the Penn State studies showed that people with insomnia are more likely to perform poorly on tests of processing speed, switching attention and visual memory. And most studies have shown that insomnia impairs cognitive performance, a possible risk factor for mild cognitive impairment and dementia…
Continue reading here. The information could keep you up at night. Which is clearly not good.
Dr. Alan Safdi, more:
Dr. Alan Safdi is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Gastroenterology and is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. A proven leader in the healthcare arena, he has been featured on the national program “Medical Crossfire” and authored or co-authored numerous medical articles and abstracts. Safdi has been involved in grant-based and clinical research for 30+ years and is passionate about disease prevention and wellness, not just fixing what has gone wrong. He is an international lecturer on the subjects of wellness, nutrition, and gastroenterology.
And back by popular demand, this summer, in partnership with the Peaks’ Spa, Dr. Safdi returns with his three, week-long wellness intensives titled “Live Longer Retreat.”
Again, using an evidence-based, scientific approach to health and longevity and featuring an experienced staff of medical professionals, personal trainers, Pilates and yoga instructors, dietitians, and chefs, the focus is on your unique wellness profile. Each Live Longer Retreat is one-of-kind in the U.S. The intensives, limited to only 10 – 15 participants, will include personal consultations, hiking, spinning, yoga, Pilates, talks and demonstrations related to nutrition, cooking classes, and more.
Go here to read a review of the experience by one very satisfied participant.
Feel free to sign up now to participate in a Live Longer Retreat – or call 1-877-448-5416 for further information.
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