Sleep disorders, nocturnal blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk: A translational perspective

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the first cause of death globally. The nighttime is generally a period of relative protection from CVD events such as myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, and stroke, at least compared to the early morning period. The nighttime also generally entails lower values of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR) and higher cardiac parasympathetic modulation. These day-night cardiovascular rhythms are ultimately driven by circadian molecular oscillators in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus and in peripheral cells, including those in the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research