Chronic sleep deprivation may harm bone growth and health – factors that could boost the risk of developing age-related osteoporosis, a new study of rats suggests.
Scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin have discovered abnormalities in bone and bone marrow in rats subjected to a chronic lack of sleep. The abnormalities increase the risk of bone loss, blood clots, and the production of blood cells, the study found.
"If the same processes are evoked in humans, the potential medical implications are far-reaching and may include poor repair of microdamage from activities of daily living, introduction of osteoporotic processes, and changes to progenitor cells that may affect disease predisposition and disease resistance," said Dr. Carol Everson, who led the study published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine.
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Dr. Steven R. Goodman, editor in chief of the journal, noted stress levels related to work, finances, and other lifestyle issues are causing “a large percentage of us” to experience difficulties in sleeping.
“While we know that chronic sleep loss can affect our health little specific information has been available on how it may impact bone formation or loss,” he said, adding that the new study presents “exciting results indicating that sleep deprivation in rats arrests new bone formation, decreases fat within the red marrow and increases platelet levels.
“If true in humans, and I expect that it may be, this work will have great impact on our understanding of the impact of sleep deprivation on osteoporosis and inability to repair bone damage as we age."
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