Heart health can still decline even with daily exercise: Doctor explains why and what should be done

Exercise improves blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and endurance. Yet, chronic lack of sleep raises blood pressure, triggers inflammation, and keeps stress hormones high. This constant stress state pushes the heart to work harder, even at rest. Over time, arteries stiffen, inflammation builds up, and the risk of coronary calcification grows. Essentially, the heart loses the recovery window that sleep should provide.