Sleep problems may affect bone health says review of the evidence
Sleep problems may negatively influence the health of our bones, experts highlight in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. Along with low bone mass, it is particularly prevalent in older people and results in changes to breathing patterns during sleep that lead to sleep disturbance and daytime tiredness. OSA has also been linked to multiple cardiovascular, metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory problems, and now it seems that it may have an adverse effect on bones too.
The authors of the current study suggest that by disrupting sleep, OSA may lead to changes in the normal day/night time pattern of bone cell activity, potentially adversely impacting on bone health. Looking at the evidence, the authors found some data suggesting that bone resorption and bone loss were increased in those with OSA, but says that so far there is no evidence of an increased fracture rate.
“There are strong indications that daily rhythms are an intrinsic and important element of bone biology,” explains Dr Eric Orwoll, senior author. “If sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea affect bone metabolism, they may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for many patients, including those affected by sleep apnea in their early bone modelling years.”
Professor Terence O’Neill, from the National Osteoporosis Society comments:
“The impact of sleep on bone health has not been well studied, which is surprising as there are well established day/night time patterns of bone turnover which may be important in maintaining optimum bone health. The evidence highlighted in the review suggests that there may indeed be adverse skeletal effects linked with the disturbed sleep which is seen in OSA. Further studies are needed so that we can better understand the impact of impaired/disturbed sleep on bone health.”
Click here to read the original research.
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Image credit: Pedro Ribeiro Simões
