Regulating blood pressure for a good nightA€AsAss sleep

High blood pressure and sleep problems. The connection between the two keeps Ann Schreihofer, PhD, Associate Professor of Integrative Physiology, awake at night.

"People with sleep apnea have a greater risk for developing high blood pressure," Schreihofer said. "Blood pressure increases if the subjects live under conditions that mimic sleep apnea."

Schreihofer’s lab focuses on the ways that the brain regulates blood pressure and how high blood pressure disrupts breathing during sleep.

"The critical factor in sleep apnea that contributes to increasing blood pressure is the occurrence of intermittent episodes of low oxygen levels – hypoxia – due to periodic cessation of breathing while sleeping," she said. "Placing subjects in special chambers that induce intermittent hypoxia during sleep has been shown to lead to high blood pressure that persists even when the subjects are awake and not exposed to hypoxia.

"This is what occurs in people with obstructive sleep apnea," Schreihofer said.

Schreihofer believes that the neurons in the brain that regulate breathing also influence the neurons that regulate cardiovascular functions. Her goal is to map out the ways that these neurons are connected in the brain stem and to understand how their interactions may be affected by exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia.
"We anticipate that these studies will provide novel insights into the ways that obstructive sleep apnea leads to high blood pressure, Schreihofer said.

She hopes that her research may assist physicians who treat patients with hypertension – to customize patient treatment and medications aligned with the person’s individual medical issues, rather than on the most cost-effective blood pressure medication available..

"Hypertension develops from multiple causes. Optimal treatments may vary depending upon the underlying origins of the disease. Personalized treatment of hypertensive people may enhance outcomes," she concluded.

Recent News

Bridgette Pullis
  • Community
|Feb 14, 2025

New College of Nursing faculty and staff expands expertise

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth's College of Nursing has recently added three distinguished faculty and staff members to its growing team. These new additions bring experience in forensic nursing, simulation, community health and palliative care. “I am honored to...
014 046 150dpi
  • Community
|Feb 11, 2025

Running through history: the story of the Cowtown Marathon

In February 1979, runners lined up at the start of the first Cowtown Marathon. What began as a simple idea to inspire people to live more actively has since evolved into a beloved Fort Worth tradition. Promoting an active lifestyle The marathon’s organizers promoted an active lifestyle — an ...
Kirk A. Calhoun Bio
  • Community
|Feb 5, 2025

Dr. Kirk Calhoun brings expertise and vision to UNTHSC

Kirk Calhoun, M.D., FACP, brings more than 30 years of experience in academic medicine and health care leadership to his new role as interim president of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, a position he assumed on Feb. 1. Calhoun most recently served as president o...
Prayerbear Party With Robin
  • Community
|Feb 5, 2025

TCOM student takes volunteering to a new level at Cook Children’s Medical Center

When you see Kathryn Adkins scroll through her journal of 110 pages of meaningful and memorable experiences, you know why she’s been a volunteer at Cook Children’s Medical Center since 2017. When you hear her speak about being a volunteer, you hear the passion that surrounds her more than 1,100 ...