Did You Inherit Insomnia?
- Apr 4, 2019
- 1 min read
Most of us think of known triggers that cause insomnia when trying to battle sleeplessness, attributing it to caffeine or alcohol consumption, depression and stress.
New studies, however, point to genetic factors in various regions that also link insomnia symptoms to heart disease. All of these identified regions are helping researchers understand why some people get insomnia, which pathways and systems are affected, and point to possible new therapeutic targets and potential medications, which could also have an effect on heart disease.
Insomnia affects 10 percent to 20 percent of people worldwide, and studies have suggested that about a third of the risk of insomnia is inherited.
Previous research has suggested that insomnia increases the risk of anxiety disorders, alcoholism, major depression and heart disease, but little has been known about the mechanisms involved in that increased risk.
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