GETTING too little sleep can not only make us tired and cranky but can cause changes in our cholesterol that can lead to cardiovascular disease.
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Lack of sleep has previously been found to impact the activation of the immune system, inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism and the hormones that regulate appetite.
Now University of Helsinki researchers have found that sleep loss - even for as little as one week - also influences cholesterol metabolism.
"We examined what changes sleep loss caused to the functions of the body and which of these changes could be partially responsible for the elevated risk for illness," said Vilma Aho, a researcher from the Sleep Team Helsinki research group.
The researchers found that people suffering from sleep loss had fewer high-density HDL lipoproteins, commonly known as the good cholesterol transport proteins, than those who slept sufficiently.
Together with other risk factors, these results help explain the higher risk of cardiovascular disease observed in sleep-deprived people. They also help in understanding the mechanisms through which lack of sleep increases this risk.
The researchers emphasise that health education should focus on the significance of good, sufficient sleep in preventing common diseases, in addition to healthy food and exercise. Even a small reduction in illnesses, or postponing the onset of an illness, would result in significant cost savings for society at large.
"The experimental study proved that just one week of insufficient sleep begins to change the body's immune response and metabolism," Ms Aho said.
The researchers are now working on finding out how minor the sleep deficiency can be while still causing such changes.
