Linking sleep quality and blood vessel health
Dr. Andrew Lim, a scientist in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute, talks about the results of his latest study looking at the relationship between fragmented sleep and blood vessel health in the brain. The study examined autopsied brains of 319 seniors who had undergone at least one full week of around-the-clock monitoring for rest and activity. The monitoring data enabled the researchers to quantify the length of sleep and how often it was disrupted.
Lim and his team found that people who experienced greater sleep interruptions were 27% more likely to have severe arteriosclerosis, a condition in which artery walls thicken and harden. Stiff arteries reduce blood flow to the brain and can contribute to stroke and cognitive and motor impairment.
While the researchers do not yet know whether blood vessel damage is a cause or consequence of sleep disruption, their results suggest that sleep quality might be useful to identify seniors at risk of stroke.
