Carmel, CA Cat Naps Might Not Be As Beneficial As Previously Thought For Seniors

Many believe that little cat naps here and there are good for the body, particularly in senior citizens.  However, a study which was just published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, showed that elderly persons who frequently doze off during routine activities like watching TV have a greater chance of suffering from a stroke.  The study analyzed data from a group of more than 2,000 Manhattan residents who were in their mid-70's.  They were asked to rate their chance of dozing from 0-3 while doing things like reading, sitting in a public place or watching TV.  During more than five years of follow-up, there were 86 strokes, including 75 ischemic strokes caused by blood vessel blockage.  The risk of stroke was three times higher for severe dozers than non dozers.  The study found there was a greater risk of dying amongst women in the study which were heavy dozers, but not for men.  The researchers didn't say why they believed this was the case, so I believe further studies are going to have to be done to find out the causation.