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.
This is a really interesting finding and certainly has implications for bone health in older adults. So many of us are sleep deprived in adulthood with children and work schedules, it's scary to think that as we age, that sleep deprivation can catch up with us in the form of osteoporosis.
ReplyDeleteI have actually discussed this very fact with my own doctor. Unfortunately, osteoporosis is a diagnosis common to the women in my family. I have been encouraged to increase my daily exercise including weight training to strengthen my bones.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting study. We've known that lack of adequate sleep can negatively impact health in many ways but increasing risk for osteoporosis is surprising. I feel that to improve our community's health we really need to emphasize the basics - movement, good food, get sleep, manage stress and have fun, do things you enjoy doing. Of course many people are in situations in which these basic needs are difficult to meet but as health educators we can help with that by being a resource for them and most importantly, advocates.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting study! Since the study is based on rats, I am wondering if the sleep deprivation leads the rats to be less physically active which lead to less weight bearing exercise to increase bone density. For example, a study by Zielinski, Davis, Fadel, & Youngstedt found that when sleep was restricted in mice, they were less likely to exercise and had a higher rate of inflammation response and development of polyps (2012). The study concluded in stating that effects of sleep deprivation were demonstrated during exercise and that exercise actually decreases the inflammation process (Zielinski, Davis, Fadel, & Youngstedt, 2012). I wonder if this was included in the study you found. It all is very interesting since our society is constantly on the go.
ReplyDeleteReference
Zielinski, M., Davis, J., Fadel, J., & Youngstedt, S. (2012). Influence of chronic moderate sleep restriction and exercise on inflammation and carcinogenesis in mice. Brain, Behavior, And Immunity, 26(4), 672-679.