Can Sleepless Nights Increase Your Risk of Aneurysms?

In a study of 70,000 adults, researchers discovered people who are predisposed to insomnia have a higher risk of aneurysms. An aneurysm is a spot in an artery wall that weakens which allows it to bulge out and sometimes burst. The study included over 10,000 European adults who had a brain aneurysm or suffered from a ruptured aneurysm. These people were compared to over 59,000 people who did not have any known brain aneurysms. The findings reinforce that high blood pressure, smoking, and insomnia are high risk factors for aneurysms compared to those without these genetic predispositions. A 24% increase in risk was found relating to insomnia. There was little evidence to support that predispositions to obesity and high blood fats increase this risk. The American Heart Association says there is a link between high blood pressure and poor sleep. Treating people with sleep disorders can lower blood pressure therefore lowering the risk of these aneurysms. A healthy diet and regular exercise can also lower blood pressure. Those who carry genetic variants that raise the odds of insomnia, high blood pressure, or smoking have a higher chance of an aneurysm occurring. 

Brain aneurysms can go unnoticed until it is too late, and they ruptured. Lowering the risk of these occurring is the first step in preventing them. Approximately 2.5% of intracranial aneurysms will rupture which is a large percentage considering they are highly fatal. The studies were only conducted on people of European descent, so these findings may be a false representation of the entire world population. The findings in this study can be useful in developing possible preventions and therapies. 

Sweet Tooth? Now it's Salt Tooth?

Everyone knows about the sweet tooth, but do you have a salt tooth?

Studies have found a gene, TAS2R48, that codes for a taste for salt, but no need to be salty about it (sorry for the pun, saw an opportunity and I took it), it's just that you would prefer saltier foods than any other, which is useful information for the American Heart Association.

We all know that the AHA recommends a limited amount of sodium in our diet, but people that express a preference for salt, are going to have a much more difficult time cutting down on the salt.  These people, because of TAS2R48 are at much higher risk of high blood pressure. Those in the study that had the gene were found to exceed the daily limit of sodium recommended by the AHA, 2,300mg. In previous study, researches suggested that the people that had the variation of gene for salt preference also enhanced their bitter tastes. "There is some research suggesting that individuals who taste bitter more intensely may also taste salt more intensely and enjoy it more, leading to increased sodium intake," Jennifer Smith, a Phd nursing student at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, said in a statement.

So if you have the salt gene, TAS2R48, be mindful of sprinkling more salt on your vegetables and cut down on the ramen!