Study Reveals the Top Predictor of Heart Disease for Women Over 45
New research points to poor sleep as a cause of poor heart health in menopausal women.
The study analyzed health data from about 3,000 women who participated in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.
Sleep ended up being the biggest predictor of having a cardiovascular disease event and dying from any cause.
The underlying causes of heart disease are varied and complicated, and doctors and scientists are still uncovering all the ways our genetics and lifestyle might affect our heart health.
Now, new research published in the journal Menopause suggests that slacking on sleep can actually be a big problem for heart health, especially in menopausal women. What's behind the connection? Top experts in the sleep and cardiovascular fields explain why sleep is so tied to heart health and what this study means for you.
Meet the experts: W. Christopher Winter, MD, is a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast; Jennifer Wider, MD, is a women's health expert and co-host of the Open Wider podcast; Jessica Shepherd, MD, author of Generation M: Living Well in Perimenopause and Menopause: Samar R. El Khoudary, PhD, MPH, study co-author and a cardiovascular and women's health epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed health data from about 3,000 women who participated in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which is an ongoing, longitudinal study of midlife women in the US. The researchers specifically looked at scores for Life's Essential 8, a health assessment tool created by the American Heart Association.
After crunching the data, the researchers found that four components in Life's Essential 8 (blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality, and nicotine use) were the most important factors in predicting participants' future risk of developing cardiovascular disease. But sleep ended up being the biggest predictor of having a cardiovascular disease event and dying from any cause. And those who had better sleep quality had a lower risk of both of these outcomes. 'Midlife sleep quality may uniquely contribute to future event risk,' the researchers wrote in the conclusion.
How is sleep related to heart health?
There are a few potential factors at play here. 'Poor sleep can lead to inflammation in the body,' says Jennifer Wider, MD, women's health expert and co-host of the Open Wider podcast. 'Research shows that even relatively mild sleep problems can cause inflammation in cells that line the veins in the heart, which could significantly contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.'
But there can be an indirect impact of sleep on heart health, too. 'Lack of sleep may promote poor eating habits which over time can contribute to poor nutrition, diabetes, and heart disease,' Dr. Wider says.
Consistent lack of sleep is also linked to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, poor blood sugar control, and obesity, points out W. Christopher Winter, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast. 'All of these are cardiovascular risk factors,' he says.
What is considered 'poor sleep'?
In the study, the sleep score was based on participants' responses to three questions about their sleep habits over the past two weeks, focusing on trouble falling asleep, frequent night awakenings, and early morning awakenings with difficulty returning to sleep, explains Samar R. El Khoudary, PhD, MPH, study co-author and a cardiovascular and women's health epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health.
Why do menopausal women need to prioritize sleep for heart health?
"As cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, it is important to protect heart health as much as possible," says Jessica Shepherd, MD, author of Generation M: Living Well in Perimenopause and Menopause. "As menopause affects every middle-aged woman, many post-menopausal women suffer from increased risks for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and sleep problems."
But menopausal women in particular face potential issues with heart health due to declining levels of estrogen, Dr. Wider says. Estrogen is protective of the heart, she explains. As it drops in the body, a woman's risk of developing cardiovascular conditions, including heart disease, increases.
"Sleep disturbances are common during the transition," El Khoudary says. "These issues, worsened by hormonal changes, vasomotor symptoms, and other factors, can increase with age and are linked to higher cardiovascular risk."
Menopausal women also tend to see a "sharp increased risk" for sleep apnea, which usually leads to worse sleep and a higher risk of heart issues, Dr. Winter says. But Dr. Winter stresses that women shouldn't assume they're doomed to have poor sleep—and potentially developing cardiovascular disease as a result—during menopause. 'This is such a positive place for menopausal women to focus, because it is a variable that can be measured and improved upon,' he says.
Ultimately, if you're struggling with sleep, it's a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider. Starting a good treatment plan could do more than make you feel well-rested the next day—it may support better heart health.
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‘Fibermaxxing': Benefits of the TikTok trend
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Fiber supplements — particularly those solely or predominantly made of psyllium husk — can be helpful if you have problems eating enough fiber or medical problems that need to be addressed more aggressively, such as high cholesterol, sources said. But they shouldn't replace fibrous foods as you'd be missing out on all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins they have to offer. There are several ways you can start incorporating more fiber into meals you already eat, such as swapping white rice, bread or pasta for whole-grain versions, Manaker said. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans site has a list of hundreds of commonly available foods and how much fiber they contain per standard serving size. Be sure to drink plenty of water, too — if fiber doesn't have any water to bring with it into your digestive tract, that can cause more bloating, gas and constipation due to dry stools, sources said. Sign up for CNN's Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. 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2 summer meteor showers peak soon. When is the best time to see Perseid in Mississippi?
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It could reduce visibility by as much as 75%. According to EarthSky, the maximum hourly rate can be about 15-20 visible meteors in a dark sky for the Delta Aquariid. These can be faint and hard to see. The alpha Capricornids have fewer meteors, but they're showier. This shower is known for fireballs, but you might only see about five per hour, according to the Meteor Society. What are the peak nights to see shooting stars in July and August? The American Meteor Society estimates the peak periods will be around July 29-30 for the Delta Aquarids and alpha Capricornids. The Perseids will peak around Aug. 12-13. The new moon was on July 24, making the dark nights before and after the clearest for sky watchers. But other nights, other than around the full moon, will still offer visibility, weather permitting. When is the August full moon? The worst nights for viewing meteor showers will be in the days surrounding the full moon. The full moon in August, called the "Sturgeon Moon," will be on Aug. 9, 2025. Peak illumination will be 2:55 a.m. CT, according to Farmer's Almanac. Moonrise in Jackson will be a 7:48 p.m. CT, on Aug. 8, according to That'll be shortly after sunset around 7:51 p.m. Where are the best dark sky places in Mississippi? Find a great spot to see the night sky Go Astronomy lists some of the best places for seeing the night sky without light pollution in Mississippi. Places that have a Bortle dark-sky scale score are provided. The nine-tier system ranks a three as a rural night sky and a one as an excellent dark sky. Bienville National Forest: Bortle score - 3. Clark Creek Natural Area: Bortle score - 3. De Soto National Forest. Delta National Forest. French Camp. Holly Springs National Forest. Holmes County State Park: Bortle score - 3. Homochitto National Forest: Bortle score - 3. Leroy Percy State Park: Bortle score - 3. Tishomingo State Park: Bortle score - 3. Tombigbee National Forest. The Natchez Trace Parkway has designated stargazing spots from sunrise until 10 p.m.: Big Tree Overlook, milepost 439.4. Little Mountain Exhibit Shelter, milepost 193.1. Reservoir Overlook, milepost 105.6. Are a meteor and a comet the same thing? No. They're different, but they can be related. A comet is an icy ball of rock, frozen gas and dust that orbits the sun. According to NASA, they can be "the size of a small town." As they get near to the sun, comets develop a head that's bigger than some planets made of dust and gas. The resulting tail can be millions of miles long. Meteors, sometimes called shooting stars, are little pieces of debris that we see burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere, according to NASA. "Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which swings by the Sun every 135 years," NASA wrote. Before it enters the atmosphere and is still in space, the rock is called a meteoroid. A meteorite is the part of the meteor that survives the trip and hits the ground. Space Connect reporter Eric Lagatta contributed to this report. Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Summer meteor showers peak soon: When, where to see Perseid, more in MS Solve the daily Crossword
