Pulse wave velocity is increased with experimental sleep restriction in healthy humans

Objectives: Increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity is indicative of vascular stiffening of the central arterial tree. Aortic stiffness is a key risk factor for the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Following acute (24-hour) sleep deprivation, healthy adults exhibit an increase in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity; however, acute sleep deprivation poorly represents sleep patterns observed in everyday life. With this information in mind, we hypothesized a prolonged (9 day) exposure to restricted sleep (4 hours of sleep per night) would result in increases in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in healthy humans.
Source: Artery Research - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research