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RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: Sunmin Lee, Graham Colditz, Lisa Berkman, and Ichiro Kawachi Caregiving to Children and Grandchildren and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women Am J Public Health 2003; 93: 1939-1944 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Caring more, sleeping less?

John H. Glaser   (17 February 2004)

Caring more, sleeping less? 17 February 2004
John H. Glaser, Researcher Independent {non-affiliated} Send letter to journal: Re: Caring more, sleeping less? glaserj{at}alum.mit.edu John H. Glaser	Lee et al. (1) have found that providing high levels of care to grandchildren may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) among women. They suggest that grandmothers who provide such care have less opportunity to engage in their own self-care and in preventive health behaviors such as exercising, eating right and getting adequate sleep. Lee's analysis was based on data collected as part of the Nurses' Health Study. Lack of adequate sleep can indeed increase the risk of CHD. Ayas et al. (2) have found that compared to women reporting 8 hours of sleep, women reporting 6 hours of sleep have a 1.30 relative risk of CHD. Participants in the Nurses' Health Study were requested, on the 1986 questionnaire, to indicate the total hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. Could Lee investigate whether there is a difference in hours of sleep between grandmothers providing high levels of care to grandchildren, compared to grandmothers not providing such care? References: 1. Lee S, Colditz G, Berkman L, Kawachi I. Caregiving to children and grandchildren and risk of coronary heart disease in women. Am J Public Health.2003;93:1939-1944. 2. Ayas NT, White DP, Manson JE, et al. A prospective study of sleep duration and coronary heart disease in women. Arch Intern Med.2003;163:205 -209.