Altered sleep patterns can lead to addiction and substance abuse. All these can make one more susceptible to cardiac ailments and strokes, said Dr Shobha N, consultant neurologist and stroke physician, Manipal Hospital, Malleshwaram, Bangalore
A recent study published in the Journal of Proteome Research suggests that lack of sleep increases the risk of developing Alzheimer s disease. The study found that chronic sleep deprivation leads to a decline in a protective protein called pleiotrophin (PTN), which causes neuronal death. The researchers also discovered that PTN is linked to Alzheimer s disease and other neurological diseases.