- With Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Sheldon Sheps, M.D.
Dr. Sheldon Sheps, emeritus professor of medicine and former chair of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1960.
Dr. Sheps, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in hypertension and peripheral vascular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary approach with specially trained nurses, dietitians, technicians and educators to help form a team approach to the treatment of patients with abnormal blood pressure.
"I have always believed in involving the patient and family in their health care," Dr. Sheps says. "I have asked for their understanding of the illness and issues and for participation in decisions. The Web is a natural extension of that, and now many more people can be informed."
Dr. Sheps chaired the sixth working group, and he participated in the fourth, fifth and seventh groups that developed the then-latest guidelines for hypertension under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He helped write the latest American Heart Association (AHA) report on blood pressure measurement. He chaired an AHA group that produced an online accreditation for blood pressure measurement for health professionals.
Dr. Sheps has co-authored books, newsletters, CD-ROMs and other Mayo Clinic health information material. He joined Mayo Clinic's Web team in 1998. He was medical editor-in-chief of both editions of the "Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure" book; the last edition was published in 2003. He was also medical editor-in-chief of "Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure," published in 2008.
In addition, Dr. Sheps was section editor for each of the first three editions of "Hypertension Primer" for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Sheps was also chairman of the Science Base Subcommittee and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and he was a consultant to the Hypertension Initiative of the World Health Organization. In 1997, he was honored with the Individual Achievement Award on the 25th anniversary of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of NHLBI. In 2009, he was honored as a Distinguished Mayo Alumnus.
Definition (3)
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- Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
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Risk factors (2)
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Symptoms (1)
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Causes (5)
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- Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
- Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
- see all in Causes
Complications (1)
- Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
Treatments and drugs (7)
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Lifestyle and home remedies (11)
- Weightlifting: Bad for your blood pressure?
- Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
- Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (2)
- L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
- Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
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Question
Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
Is it true that sleep deprivation can cause high blood pressure?
Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Possibly. It's thought that sleeping less than six hours a night could be linked to increased blood pressure.
People who sleep five hours or less a night may be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure or worsening already high blood pressure. There's also an increased risk of high blood pressure for people who sleep between five and six hours a night.
It's thought that sleep helps your blood regulate stress hormones and helps your nervous system remain healthy. Over time, a lack of sleep could hurt your body's ability to regulate stress hormones, leading to high blood pressure.
Sleeping seven to eight hours a night may play a role in the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor for tips on getting better sleep, especially if you have high blood pressure.
Also talk with your doctor if you feel tired even after a full night's sleep. One possible — and treatable — cause, sleep apnea, increases your risk of heart problems and other health issues.
Next questionHypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
- Pressman MR. Definition and consequences of sleep deprivation. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 2, 2012.
- Bonnet MH, et al. Cardiovascular implications of poor sleep. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 2007;2:529.
- Vgontzas AN, et al. Insomnia with short sleep duration and mortality: The Penn State cohort. Sleep. 2010;33:1159.
- Sheps SG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 9, 2012.
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