By Ben Wasserman
Nov 2, 2008

Sunday November 2, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) — An extra hour of sleep due to the change in daylight saving time in the fall could prevent some people from suffering heart attack, a new study suggests.

The study led by researchers in Sweden found that the risk of a heart attack dropped during the first week after the clocks were set back and people have an extra hour of sleeping.

The study also found the risk of heart attack was higher in the first week after clocks were set forward in the springtime and people changed their time schedule potentially having one hour less sleep.

The study was conducted by Drs. Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute and Rickard Ljung of the National Board of Health and Welfare and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers found that during the shift to daylight saving time, women seemed more likely to have heart attack than men. And men were more likely to be protected during the Monday in the fall.

Sleeping time has been linked to the risk of heart attack.   A study published in the July 2002 issue of the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed men who work 60 or more hours a week and do not get regular sleep may double their risk of heart attack.

The authors suggest that insufficient sleep increases blood pressure and heart rate while chronic stress may induce abnormalities in heart function.

The researchers said the optimal working time is 40 hours a week and those who work longer should get enough sleep and have at least two days of rest in a month.

But people have different opinions on how daylight saving time change affects the risk of heart attack and some said other risk factors could also affect the risk.

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