A new study in Japan suggested that sleeping pills lead to an eight-fold increase in cardiovascular disease risk in heart failure survivors.
According to Masahiko Setoguchi - one of the study authors - several people who have survived heart failures complain of lack of sleep and are prescribed medications for the condition. These people also have other diseases and might be on several pills such as anti-platelets, anti-hypertensives, anti-coagulants.
"Cardiac function of patients who've survived heart failure worsens with repeated hospitalisations. We, therefore, decided it was important to investigate the relationships between drugs prescribed at discharge, rehospitalisation and cardiovascular events in such patients," said Setoguchi.
For the study, researchers looked at data from 111 heart failure survivors admitted to Tokyo Yamate Medical Center between 2011 and 2013.
Researchers then assessed their health 180 days after their discharge. The team then classified people based on their conditions; patients were either put into heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) group or in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
"Management and prognosis can vary between patients with HFpEF and HFrEF so we analysed the two groups separately," Setoguchi added.
Researchers found that HFpEF people on sleeping pills were eight times more likely to be hospitalized again due to a heart-related issue than people who weren't using the medication.
"The main finding of our study is that HFpEF patients prescribed sleeping pills have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The number of HFpEF patients is increasing and becoming a larger proportion of heart failure patients overall. Our results therefore are of growing relevance to heart failure patients and the professionals who treat them," Setoguchi said.
A related study, published earlier in the British Medical Journal, had found that even small doses of sleeping pills can up premature death risk.
The research was presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2014, held 17-20 May in Athens, Greece.
According to a report by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, some four percent or 8.6 million Americans use sleeping pills. People over the age of 59 years are more likely than the others to use medications to sleep.
Please consult a physician before changing or stopping any prescribed medications.