Akshay (name changed ), a 24 year old lean and fit marathon runner who is not victim to hypertension, diabetes or smoking, suffers a cardiac arrest early morning at the gym. The only high risk factor found in his medical history was lack of sleep.
According to a recent statement from the American Heart Association, an irregular sleep pattern (one that varies from the usual seven-to-nine hour sleep norm) is linked to a host of cardiovascular risks, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Short sleep — less than six hours per night — appears to be hazardous
