Lack of Sleep Affects Bone Health and Bone Marrow
Activity
ScienceDaily
(Sep. 18, 2012)
Scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin have
discovered that rats that have been sleep deprived at a young age show signs of
poor bone health and growth. Rats in
their early adulthood have also shown signs of poor fracture repair. The amount of fat in red bone marrow is also
shown to be in smaller amounts. The researchers
are looking at the lack of sleep as a possible cause of osteoporosis conditions,
a decrease in disease resistance, and a decrease in red bone marrow. Why are these of concern? Osteoporosis is a
condition that causes brittle bones and problems with bone growth and strength. A reduced amount of red bone marrow will
result in a decrease in the number of red blood cells created. A
lowered disease resistance can cause a person to “catch” the sickness more
easily.
The results appear in the September 2012 issue of Experimental
Biology and Medicine. Co-authors of the paper are Jeffrey M. Toth, Ph.D.,
professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Anne
Folley, now a graduate student at George Washington University.
