Boston, MA - What could be some of the most welcome heart-healthy advice in a long time comes from Greek researchers who say daytime napping—taking a siesta—may add years to life [1].

The report, with first author Dr Androniki Naska (University of Athens Medical School, Greece), appears in the February 12, 2007 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study included 23 681 participants from the cohort of the Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Men who occasionally napped had a 12% (95% CI 0.48-1.60) lower CHD mortality; those who napped almost daily did even better, with a 37% (95% CI 0.42-0.93) mortality decrease. A separate analysis was conducted to compare working and nonworking men.

"We found the association among nonworking men weaker," the researchers noted.

Researchers did not find a similar pattern in women, which could be due to the lower mortality rates in the cohort.

"If this is confirmed, we may have new weapon against CHD," coauthor Dr Antonia Trichopoulou (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA) said in an interview with heartwire.

"Many speculate that the lower CAD mortality in some [Latin and Mediterranean] countries may be related to diet, which may be true, but we wanted to see whether there were other habits that could play a role," Trichopoulou said.

EPIC was conducted from 1994 to 1999 in 10 European countries. At baseline, all individuals (ages 20-86 years) were asked to report whether they were taking midday naps and the duration (in five-minute increments).

The participants were categorized as: never taking naps; those taking midday naps regularly (at least three times a week, average duration 30 minutes); those taking midday naps irregularly (once or twice a week); or occasional napping (duration of less than 30 minutes, irrespective of weekly frequency).

The study end points were death rate and cause of death; the mean duration of follow-up was 6.3 years. There were 85 CHD deaths in men and 48 CHD deaths in women. Researchers controlled for physical activity, body-mass index, smoking status, and diet.

"Afternoon siesta in a healthy individual may act as a stress-reducing habit, and there is considerable evidence that stress has both short- and long-term adverse effects on the incidence of and mortality from CHD," said Trichopoulou.

According to Dr Gerald Fletcher (Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL), an American Heart Association spokesperson, "The siesta may be a stress-reducing habit that allows people to slow down."

He takes a nap occasionally. "It's a way to relax and recharge," he said in an interview with heartwire.

Benjamin Franklin had a sleep pattern characterized by periodic napping, noted Fletcher, "and he was very productive."