Oral Frailty and Meal Positioning Associated With Aspiration Pneumonia in Long-Term Care Residents at High Risk of Malnutrition.

Sleep is fundamental to human health, and its disruption has been linked to a myriad of effects on the body. Both acute and chronic sleep deprivation adversely affects metabolism, immunity, mental health, and cardiovascular health []. Sleep quality is defined as adequate sleep duration and depth, sufficient to achieve the restorative effects of sleep that are integral to human health. Acute sleep deprivation and diseases like chronic insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing are associated with circadian misalignment and may interfere with the homeostasis achieved by adequate sleep quality and quantity []. Growing evidence consistently demonstrates strong associations between sleep disorders and several pathological conditions, including diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmias [, ]. Evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between sleep and cardiometabolic health, with current research focusing on the mechanisms underlying how sleep deprivation affects cardiovascular events []. A popular theory is that sleep deprivation is associated with inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, and hormonal imbalances, all of which are drivers of poor cardiovascular health [–]. For instance, the sympathetic arousal observed in sleep apnea has been directly linked to hypertension. Studies also show a “U-shaped” association between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with both longer and shorter sleep durations than the normal range (6–9 h) conferring increased CVD risk [, ]. The link between sleep and health is not new. In the early days, simply observing that individuals with poor sleep schedules reported greater fatigue and reduced work efficiency supported the view that sleep is integral to proper physiological functioning. Today, this link is well established by studies that demonstrate the relationship between poor sleep quality and multisystem diseases []. In this narrative review, we aim to examine the effects of sleep disruption on cardiovascular health and metabolism. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature examining the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The review further highlights key research considerations that remain unaddressed.