With financial support from Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, the American Heart Association (AHA) will create cardio-sleep-related educational multimedia content. It is available at www.heart.org/en/health-topics/sleep-disorders.

Studies show that more than one-third of Americans do not get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night.1,2 Jazz and the AHA seek to reverse this trend, as it is well established that sleep disorders and disrupted sleep can put people at higher risk for cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease.3,4 Adequate, healthy sleep is linked to getting sick less often, staying at a healthy weight, reducing stress, and thinking more clearly.5

“Jazz’s purpose is to innovate to transform the lives of patients, and the American Heart Association’s consumer education aims to positively affect the lives of people struggling with healthy sleep or sleep disorders,” says Bruce Cozadd, chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, in a release. “We are proud to support the American Heart Association to educate and empower Americans to live healthier lives through the power of sleep with an emphasis on sleep disorders, comorbidities, and well-being. At Jazz, we are committed to maximizing our social impact and working with like-minded organizations to best serve our communities.”

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Through Jazz’s financial support, the AHA will create content to educate those living with sleep disorders, their loved ones and the general public. The content will include a series of podcasts featuring experts discussing sleep, sleep disorders, and comorbidities associated with poor sleep.

“For nearly 100 years, the American Heart Association has been fighting heart disease and stroke, working to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” says Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, FAAFP, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, in a release. “Sleep is an important element to heart health and overall health, and it is important to continue to raise awareness of the positive health effects of quality sleep and to address the negative health consequences associated with poor sleep.”

The American Heart Association will provide resources that provide education on thinking more holistically about sleep health, including science-based articles focused on sleep disorders and cardiovascular comorbidities.

References

  1. Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB. Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults — United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:137-41.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How Much Sleep Do I Need? Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html. Accessed August 2020.
  3. Makarem N, Castro-Diehl C, St-Onge MP. Abstract 36: The Role of Sleep as a Cardiovascular Health Metric: Does It Improve Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction? Results From The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Circulation. 2020; 141(1).
  4. Grandner MA, Jackson NJ, Pak VM, Gehrman PR. Sleep disturbance is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. J Sleep Res. 2012;21(4):427-433. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2011.00990.
  5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. MyHealthfinder: Get Enough Sleep. The Basics: Health Benefits. Available at: https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/everyday-healthy-living/mental-health-and-relationships/get-enough-sleep#panel-2. Accessed August 2020.

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