Fig. 1.

The association between sleep disorders, vascular disease and stroke. Mechanisms specific to sleep disorders are represented in the left column and established vascular mechanisms are represented in the right column. Sleep disorders potentiate vascular mechanisms, and vascular disease, in turn, contributes to sleep disorders (or exacerbate sleep disorders). The sleep-related mechanisms can lead to the development of risk factors (i.e. hypertension) and to sub-clinical vascular disease (brain white matter hyperintesitiens, carotid disease) and stroke; or sleep-related mechanisms are directly linked to stroke.