According to this study, those who had high blood pressure (BP) when sleeping flat on their backs were more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or pass away before their time.
According to the research, high blood pressure is indicated by top and bottom readings of 130/80 mm Hg or above.
According to researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, the autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure in various body positions. However, gravity may cause blood to pool when seated or upright, and the body occasionally struggles to correctly control blood pressure during lying, seated, and standing positions.
People with high blood pressure while seated and supine were at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease by 1.6 times, heart failure by 1.83 times, stroke by 1.86 times, general premature death by 1.43 times, and coronary heart disease itself by 2.18 times.
people who had high blood pressure both when sitting and while lying flat showed comparable heightened risks as people who had high blood pressure both ways.
The researchers found that variations in blood pressure medication usage had no impact on these higher risks in either group.
“If blood pressure is only measured while people are seated upright, cardiovascular disease risk may be missed if it is not measured also while they are lying supine on their backs,” said Duc M. Giao, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and the study’s primary author.
“Our findings suggest that people with known risk factors for heart disease and stroke may benefit from having their blood pressure checked while lying flat on their backs,” Giao said.
