Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Mar 19, 2026 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
Medical News: A new scientific study has revealed that a common sleep problem among older adults—waking up frequently during the night—may be far more dangerous than previously thought. Researchers have discovered that this type of sleep disruption is strongly linked to heart disease, metabolic disorders, and unusual immune system activity.
Frequent nighttime awakenings in older adults may raise heart disease risk by triggering immune system changes
Major Study on Sleep in Older Adults
The research was conducted by scientists from the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks”, Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia; the Russian Clinical Research Center for Gerontology of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia; and the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA of Russia), Moscow, Russia.
The study involved 1,002 individuals aged between 60 and 90 years. Participants were evaluated for sleep problems using a standardized sleep assessment tool. Researchers focused on two types of insomnia: difficulty falling asleep and difficulty staying asleep through the night.
While both conditions were associated with issues like depression, chronic pain, and osteoarthritis, the findings clearly showed that those who woke up repeatedly during the night faced a much higher risk of serious physical illnesses.
Strong Links to Heart and Metabolic Diseases
Older adults with sleep maintenance insomnia were significantly more likely to suffer from conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, chronic heart failure, and atherosclerosis. These individuals also tended to have higher body weight and elevated blood pressure levels.
The data suggests that interrupted sleep may place continuous stress on the body, increasing the likelihood of long-term health problems.
Surprising Changes in the Immune System
To understand why this happens, researchers examined blood samples from a smaller group of participants. They found that people with frequent nighttime awakenings showed major changes in gene activity.
In total, 244 genes were found to behave differently, with most becoming more active. Many of these genes are involved in the body’s immune response, particularly those that normally fight viral infections.
Even more striking, over 2,000 changes were detected in special genetic molecules known as double-stranded RNA. These molecules are typically associated with viral infections, yet in this case, they were elevated even though no infection was present.
This
Medical News report highlights that the body may be reacting as if it is under constant viral threat simply due to disrupted sleep patterns.
Chronic Inflamm
ation May Be the Key
These immune changes are believed to trigger chronic inflammation—a long-lasting, low-level immune response that can damage organs over time. Chronic inflammation is widely known to contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions.
The study also found that people with disrupted sleep were more likely to experience fatigue, reduced physical activity, and poorer mental health, all of which can further worsen overall health.
Sleep Quality Matters More Than Sleep Duration
One of the most important discoveries is that sleeping fewer hours alone did not produce the same biological effects. Instead, it was the repeated interruptions during sleep that had the strongest impact.
This suggests that maintaining continuous, uninterrupted sleep may be more important than simply getting enough hours of rest, especially in older individuals.
Conclusions
The findings clearly show that frequent nighttime awakenings are not just a minor inconvenience but a serious health concern. By triggering abnormal immune responses and long-term inflammation, this type of insomnia may significantly increase the risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders. Improving sleep continuity could therefore be a powerful and often overlooked strategy for protecting health and extending quality of life in older adults.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Molecular Sciences
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2771
For the latest on sleep issues and heart and immune diseases, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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