What Researchers Did
Researchers studied how five weeks of horizontal bedrest affected the ability of arteries and arterioles to expand in response to pressure in ten subjects.
What They Found
After five weeks of bedrest, the distension of the tibial artery in the leg increased threefold, from 8% to 24%, and the brachial artery in the arm increased by one-third, from 15% to 20%. Blood flow in the tibial artery also showed a greater increase after bedrest (50 ml/min) compared to before (13 ml/min) when pressure was applied.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size of only ten male subjects, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.