Afternoon naps sign of poor health: Study

Read the given text and answer the questions that follow:

Afternoon naps sign of poor health: Study

Telegraph Epaper  27, July 2022

London: People who take regular afternoon naps could be at risk of higher blood pressure and strokes, according to a study.

Researchers looked at data from 358,000 people in the UK who were asked how often they slept in the daytime. Those who did so on most days had a 12 per cent higher chance of having high blood pressure. They were 24 per cent more likely to have a stroke over the 11-year follow-up period than people who never napped.

Those who said they napped occasionally were 7 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure and 12 per cent more likely to have a stroke than those who did not. Fewer than 5 per cent of adults said they napped most days, and 60 per cent said they rarely or never napped.

Frequent nappers tended to be men, smokers, daily drinkers, insomniacs and snorers. They were also more likely to be overweight and had lower education than those who did not nap. Most participants, who were aged from 40 to 69, did not change how often they napped throughout the study period.

Under-60s who napped most days had a 20 per cent higher risk of getting high blood pressure, while for over-60s the figure was 10 per cent. The study, led by scientists at Xiangya Hospital Central South University in China, was observational.

Dr Michael Grandner, from the American Heart Association, which published the study in its journal Hypertension, said: "This study echoes other findings that generally show that taking more naps seems to reflect an increased risk for problems with heart health and other issues. This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that." The new research did not look at the duration of naps, only how often people took them. About a third of UK adults have high blood pressure (above 140/90mmHg). If left untreated, it increases the risk of problems such as heart attacks.

Another study, also published by the American Heart Association, looked at the optimal amount of exercise to keep your heart healthy. It found that exercising for more than two and a half hours each week slashed the risk of developing heart disease. The research, published in the journal Circulation, also suggested there was no such thing as too much exercise.

The NHS and US health officials say people should do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking a week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running. Previous studies have suggested that long-term endurance exercise may increase the risk of heart problems or cardiac arrest but the study found no evidence.

The Times, London

1.  Tick the correct answer from the alternatives given     1x4=4

 (1) Frequent nappers are likely to be --

(a) smokers     (b) insomniacs   (e)  overweight     (d) all of the above

(ii) Those who napped most days and had 20 percent risk of getting high blood pressure were aged:

(a) above 60       (b) under 60       (c) 25-30  (d) any age

(iii) Dr. Michael Grandner is from

(a) Cardiology Department, Denmark     (b) Royal Society of France  (c) AIMS, Delhi  (d) American Heart Association, USA

(iv) The new research looked at the ---

(a) duration of the nap  (b) frequency of the nap   (c) both (a) and (b)   (d) neither (a) nor (b)

2. Say whether the following statements are “True” (T) or “False” (F). Provide supporting sentences: 2x4=8

                (i) Majority of the adults said that they napped frequently.    □               

                S.S._________________________________________________________________________

                (ii) Hypertension is the name of a journal.    □

                S.S.________________________________________________________________________

                (iii) Naps are sufficient to make up sleep deficiency at night.   □

        S.S. _____________________________________________________________________

                (IV) 150 minutes of moderate exercise has nearly the same effect as 75 minutes of vigorous activity.   □

        S.S. ___________________________________________________________________________

3. Answer the following questions:    2x4=8

(i)      Where, over how many people and how long was the study conducted?

(ii)    Who led the study and what was the nature of the study?

(iii)   What is high blood pressure and what is its risk?

(iv)  What is the effect of exercise on heart health?

4. Find out words from the passage which mean the following:    2x4=8

(i)      short sleeps, especially during the day

(ii)    people who often find it difficult to sleep

(iii)   reduced or decreased

(iv)  average/ordinary in amount, intensity, quality, or degree