Cutting back on sleep could harm blood vessel function
and breathing control, a new study has found.
A bevy of research has shown a link between sleep
deprivation and cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity.
However, it''s been unclear why sleep loss might lead to
these effects. Several studies have tested the effects of total sleep
deprivation, but this model isn''t a good fit for the way most people lose
sleep, with a few hours here and there.
In a new study by Keith Pugh, Shahrad Taheri, and George
Balanos, all of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, researchers
test the effects of partial sleep deprivation on blood vessels and breathing
control.
They find that reducing sleep length over two consecutive
nights leads to less healthy vascular function and impaired breathing control.
Following the first two nights of restricted sleep, the
researchers found a significant reduction in vascular function compared to
following the nights of normal sleep. However, after the third night of sleep
restriction, vascular function returned to baseline, possibly an adaptive
response to acute sleep loss, study leader Pugh explained.
In other tests, the researchers exposed subjects to
moderately high levels of carbon dioxide, which normally increases the depth
and rate of breathing. However, breathing control was substantially reduced
after the volunteers lost sleep.
The researchers later had these volunteers sleep 10 hours
a night for five nights. After completing the same tests, results showed that
vascular function and breathing control had improved.
Pugh noted that the results could suggest a mechanism
behind the connection between sleep loss and cardiovascular disease.
"If acute sleep loss occurs repetitively over a long
period of time, then vascular health could be compromised further and
eventually mediate the development of cardiovascular disease," he said.
Similarly, the loss of breathing control that the
researchers observed could play a role in the development of sleep apnea, which
has also been linked with cardiovascular disease.
Pugh added that some populations who tend to report
sleeping shorter periods, such as the elderly, could be at an even higher risk
of these adverse health effects.
The team will discuss the abstract of their study at the
Experimental Biology 2013 meeting, being held April 20-24, 2013 at the Boston
Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass.
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