People who doze off while watching television or reading a newspaper could be at high risk of suffering a stroke, scientists say.
Researchers found that the risk of having a stroke went up by two- to four-fold in those who often fell asleep inadvertently during the day.
Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala, from Columbia University, New York, said daytime dozing could help alert relatives and doctors to identify those who were more at risk.
Presenting her work at the American Stroke Association conference in New Orleans, Dr Boden-Albala said: "Those are significant numbers. We were surprised that the impact was that high for such a short period of time.
"Given what's known now, it's worth assessing patients for sleep problems. If patients are moderately or significantly dozing, physicians need to think about sending them for further evaluation.
"Studies demonstrate that we are not getting enough sleep, so we're tired. But the real question is, what are we doing to our bodies? Sleepiness obviously puts us at risk of stroke."
The study involved 2,153 men and women who took part in the long-term Northern Manhattan Study.
All participants were aged 40 or over and none had previously suffered a stroke.
In 2004 Dr Boden-Albala and colleagues collected information on how often they dozed off during specific situations, such as watching television, talking to friends and following lunch without alcohol.
They were also asked how often they had to stop while driving because they felt drowsy.
The researchers found that 44 per cent engaged in "some dozing" and nine per cent were prone to "significant dozing".
Two years later those who engaged in some dozing were 2.6 times more likely to have had a stroke, compared with those who did not doze.
Those who frequently dozed off inadvertently were 4.5 times more likely to have had a stroke.
Previous research has shown that people who suffer from sleep apnoea, a condition marked by moments when breathing stops during sleep, are at greater risk of suffering strokes. The condition can cause sleepiness during the day, which can lead to excessive dozing.
Research published earlier this week found that napping for 10 minutes at a time reduces drowsiness, suggesting that the act of falling asleep can refresh the brain.
Dr Olaf Lahl, from the University of Dusseldorf, asked students to recall a list of words after an hour spent playing solitaire.
Those allowed a five-minute nap at the start of the experiment recalled significantly more words than those who did not sleep at all.
Source:telegraph.co.uk
Study links daytime sleeping to stroke risk
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