Fragmented sleep shows potential link to stroke risk in the elderly

Written by Alice Weatherston

A new study has identified a link between disrupted sleep and the risk of cerebral blood vessel damage in the form of arteriosclerosis and macroscopic and microscopic infarcts in the elderly population. The research carried out at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (ON, Canada) is the first to examine autopsied brains of individuals who had undergone sleep monitoring prior to death. The findings were published in Stroke recently. Within the study population, which included autopsied brains of 315 individuals (70% women) with an average age at death of 90 from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, sleep was disrupted on average...

To view this content, please register now for access

It's completely free