Combination pharmacological therapy targeting multiple mechanisms of sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled cross-over trial.

RATIONALE: Acetazolamide and atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin ('AtoOxy') can improve obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by stabilising ventilatory control and improving dilator muscle responsiveness respectively. Given the different pathophysiological mechanisms targeted by each intervention, we tested whether AtoOxy-plus-acetazolamide would be more efficacious than AtoOxy alone. METHODS: In a multicentre randomised crossover trial, 19 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA received AtoOxy (80/5 mg), acetazolamide (500 mg), combined AtoOxy-plus-acetazolamide or placebo at bedtime for three nights (half doses on first night) with a 4-day washout between conditions. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and night 3 of each treatment period. Mixed model analysis compared the reduction in Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index (AHI) from baseline between AtoOxy-plus-acetazolamide and AtoOxy (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included hypoxic burden and arousal index. RESULTS: Although AtoOxy lowered AHI by 49 (33, 62)%baseline (estimate (95% CI)) vs placebo, and acetazolamide lowered AHI by+34 (14, 50)%baseline vs placebo, AtoOxy-plus-acetazolamide was not superior to AtoOxy alone (difference: -2 (-18, 11)%baseline, primary outcome p=0.8). Likewise, the hypoxic burden was lowered with AtoOxy (+58 (37, 71)%baseline) and acetazolamide (+37 (5, 58)%baseline), but no added benefit versus AtoOxy occurred when combined (difference: -13 (-5, 39)%baseline). Arousal index was also modestly reduced with each intervention (11%baseline-16%baseline). Mechanistic analyses revealed that similar traits (ie, higher baseline compensation, lower loop gain) were associated with both AtoOxy and acetazolamide efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: While AtoOxy halved AHI, and acetazolamide lowered AHI by a third, the combination of these leading experimental interventions provided no greater efficacy than AtoOxy alone. Failure of acetazolamide to further increase efficacy suggests overlapping physiological mechanisms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03892772.

A review of supine position related obstructive sleep apnea: Classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment.

Supine related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common clinical and physiological phenotype of OSA. This condition is recognizable by patients, their families and through polysomnographic recordings. Commonly used definitions distinguish the presence of supine related OSA when respiratory events occur at twice the frequency when the patient lies in the supine compared to non-supine sleeping positions. Recent physiology studies have demonstrated that airway obstruction arises more commonly in the supine position particularly at the level of the soft palate and epiglottis. Increased airway collapsibility is reliability observed supine relative to lateral position. To a lesser extent, changes in control of breathing favour less stable ventilation when the supine sleeping posture is adopted. Many treatments have been developed and trialled to help patients avoid sleeping on their back. The last 10 years has seen the emergence of vibrotactile warning devices that are worn on the patients' neck or chest. High quality randomized controlled trial data is accumulating on the efficacy and common pitfalls of the application of these treatments.

Oronasal vs Nasal Masks: The Impact of Mask Type on CPAP Requirement, Pharyngeal Critical Closing Pressure (Pcrit), and Upper Airway Cross-Sectional Areas in Patients With OSA.

BACKGROUND: CPAP delivered via an oronasal mask is associated with lower adherence, higher residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and increased CPAP therapeutic pressure compared with nasal masks. However, the mechanisms underlying the increased pressure requirements are not well understood. RESEARCH QUESTION: How do oronasal masks affect upper airway anatomy and collapsibility? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Fourteen patients with OSA underwent a sleep study with both a nasal and oronasal mask, each for one-half of the night (order randomized). CPAP was manually titrated to determine therapeutic pressure. Upper airway collapsibility was assessed using the pharyngeal critical closing pressure (Pcrit) technique. Cine MRI was done to dynamically assess the cross-sectional area of the retroglossal and retropalatal airway throughout the respiratory cycle with each mask interface. Scans were repeated at 4 cm H2O and at the nasal and oronasal therapeutic pressures. RESULTS: The oronasal mask was associated with higher therapeutic pressure requirements (ΔM ± SEM; +2.6 ± 0.5; P < .001) and higher Pcrit (+2.4 ± 0.5 cm H2O; P = .001) compared with the nasal mask. The change in therapeutic pressure between masks was strongly correlated with the change in Pcrit (r2 = 0.73; P = .003). Increasing CPAP increased both the retroglossal and retropalatal airway dimensions across both masks. After controlling for pressure and breath phase, the retropalatal cross-sectional area was moderately larger when using a nasal vs an oronasal mask (+17.2 mm2; 95% CI, 6.2-28.2, P < .001) while nasal breathing. INTERPRETATION: Oronasal masks are associated with a more collapsible airway than nasal masks, which likely contributes to the need for a higher therapeutic pressure.

A single dose of noradrenergic/serotonergic reuptake inhibitors combined with an antimuscarinic does not improve obstructive sleep apnoea severity.

Previous trials have demonstrated that the combination of noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors with an antimuscarinic can substantially reduce the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) and improve airway collapsibility in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, some studies have shown that when administered individually, neither noradrenergic or serotonergic agents have been effective at alleviating OSA. This raises the possibility that serotonergic agents (like noradrenergic agents) may also need to be delivered in combination to be efficacious. Therefore, we investigated the effect of an antimuscarinic (oxybutynin) on OSA severity when administered with either duloxetine or milnacipran, two dual noradrenergic/serotonergic reuptake inhibiters. A randomized, double-blind, 4 way cross-over, placebo-controlled trial in ten OSA patients was performed. Patients received each drug condition separately across four overnight in-lab polysomnography (PSG) studies ~1-week apart. The primary outcome measure was the AHI. In addition, the four key OSA endotypes (collapsibility, muscle compensation, arousal threshold, loop gain) were measured non-invasively from the PSGs using validated techniques. There was no significant effect of either drug combinations on reducing the total AHI or improving any of the key OSA endotypes. However, duloxetine+oxybutynin did significantly increase the fraction of hypopnoeas to apnoeas (FHypopnoea ) compared to placebo (p = 0.02; d = 0.54). In addition, duloxetine+oxybutynin reduced time in REM sleep (p = 0.009; d = 1.03) which was positively associated with a reduction in the total AHI (R2  = 0.62; p = 0.02). Neither drug combination significantly improved OSA severity or modified the key OSA endotypes when administered as a single dose to unselected OSA patients.

Examining the impact of multilevel upper airway surgery on the obstructive sleep apnoea endotypes and their utility in predicting surgical outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Upper airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an alternative treatment for patients who are intolerant of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, upper airway surgery has variable treatment efficacy with no reliable predictors of response. While we now know that there are several endotypes contributing to OSA (i.e., upper airway collapsibility, airway muscle response/compensation, respiratory arousal threshold and loop gain), no study to date has examined: (i) how upper airway surgery affects all four OSA endotypes, (ii) whether knowledge of baseline OSA endotypes predicts response to surgery and (iii) whether there are any differences when OSA endotypes are measured using the CPAP dial-down or clinical polysomnographic (PSG) methods. METHODS: We prospectively studied 23 OSA patients before and ≥3 months after multilevel upper airway surgery. Participants underwent clinical and research PSG to measure OSA severity (apnoea-hypopnoea index [AHI]) and endotypes (measured in supine non-rapid eye movement [NREM]). Values are presented as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range). RESULTS: Surgery reduced the AHITotal (38.7 [23.4 to 79.2] vs. 22.0 [13.3 to 53.5] events/h; p = 0.009). There were no significant changes in OSA endotypes, however, large but variable improvements in collapsibility were observed (CPAP dial-down method: ∆1.9 ± 4.9 L/min, p = 0.09, n = 21; PSG method: ∆3.4 [-2.8 to 49.0]%Veupnoea , p = 0.06, n = 20). Improvement in collapsibility strongly correlated with improvement in AHI (%∆AHISupineNREM vs. ∆collapsibility: p < 0.005; R2  = 0.46-0.48). None of the baseline OSA endotypes predicted response to surgery. CONCLUSION: Surgery unpredictably alters upper airway collapsibility but does not alter the non-anatomical endotypes. There are no baseline predictors of response to surgery.

Fit-Tested N95 Masks Combined With Portable High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration Can Protect Against High Aerosolized Viral Loads Over Prolonged Periods at Close Range.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk from aerosol transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the protection provided by masks (surgical, fit-testFAILED N95, fit-testPASSED N95) and personal protective equipment (PPE), and (2) determine if a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can enhance the benefit of PPE. METHODS: Virus aerosol exposure experiments using bacteriophage PhiX174 were performed. An HCW wearing PPE (mask, gloves, gown, face shield) was exposed to nebulized viruses (108 copies/mL) for 40 minutes in a sealed clinical room. Virus exposure was quantified via skin swabs applied to the face, nostrils, forearms, neck, and forehead. Experiments were repeated with a HEPA filter (13.4 volume-filtrations/hour). RESULTS: Significant virus counts were detected on the face while the participants were wearing either surgical or N95 masks. Only the fit-testPASSED N95 resulted in lower virus counts compared to control (P = .007). Nasal swabs demonstrated high virus exposure, which was not mitigated by the surgical/fit-testFAILED N95 masks, although there was a trend for the fit-testPASSED N95 mask to reduce virus counts (P = .058). HEPA filtration reduced virus to near-zero levels when combined with fit-testPASSED N95 mask, gloves, gown, and face shield. CONCLUSIONS: N95 masks that have passed a quantitative fit-test combined with HEPA filtration protects against high virus aerosol loads at close range and for prolonged periods of time.

Body position during laboratory and home polysomnography compared to habitual sleeping position at home.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Supine-predominant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent. The proportion of time spent in the supine position may be overrepresented during polysomnography, which would impact on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and have important clinical implications. We aimed to investigate the difference in body position during laboratory or home polysomnography compared to habitual sleep and estimate its effect on OSA severity. Secondary aims were to evaluate the consistency of habitual sleeping position and accuracy of self-reported sleeping position. METHODS: Patients undergoing diagnostic laboratory or home polysomnography were recruited. Body position was recorded using a neck-worn device. Habitual sleeping position was the average time spent supine over 3 consecutive nights at home. Primary outcomes were the proportion of sleep time spent supine (% time supine) and AHI adjusted for habitual sleeping position. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients who underwent laboratory polysomnography and 56 who had home polysomnography were included. Compared to habitual sleep, % time supine was higher during laboratory polysomnography (mean difference 14.1% [95% confidence interval: 7.2-21.1]; P = .0002) and home polysomnography (7.1% [95% confidence interval 0.9-13.3]; P = .03). Among those with supine-predominant OSA, there was a trend toward lower adjusted AHI than polysomnography-derived AHI (P = .07), changing OSA severity in 31.6%. There was no significant between-night difference in % time supine during habitual sleep (P = .4). Self-reported % time supine was inaccurate (95% limits of agreement -49.2% to 53.9%). CONCLUSIONS: More time was spent in the supine position during polysomnography compared to habitual sleep, which may overestimate OSA severity for almost one-third of patients with supine-predominant OSA. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR); Title: Sleeping position during sleep tests and at home; Identifier: ACTRN12618000628246; URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=374873&isReview=true. CITATION: Yo SW, Joosten SA, Wimaleswaran H, et al. Body position during laboratory and home polysomnography compared to habitual sleeping position at home. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(9):2103-2111.

Clinical polysomnographic methods for estimating pharyngeal collapsibility in obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea has major health consequences but is challenging to treat. For many therapies, efficacy is determined by the severity of underlying pharyngeal collapsibility, yet there is no accepted clinical means to measure it. Here, we provide insight into which polysomnographic surrogate measures of collapsibility are valid, applicable across the population, and predictive of therapeutic outcomes. METHODS: Seven promising polysomnography-derived surrogate collapsibility candidates were evaluated: Vpassive (flow at eupneic ventilatory drive), Vmin (ventilation at nadir drive), event depth (depth of the average respiratory event), oxygen desaturation slope and mean oxygen desaturation (events-related averages), Fhypopneas (fraction of events scored as hypopneas), and apnea index. Evaluation included (1) validation by comparison to physiological gold-standard collapsibility values (critical closing pressure, Pcrit), (2) capacity to detect increased collapsibility with older age, male sex, and obesity in a large community-based cohort (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, MESA), and (3) prediction of treatment efficacy (oral appliances and pharmacological pharyngeal muscle stimulation using atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin). RESULTS: Pcrit was significantly correlated with Vmin (r = -0.54), event depth (r = 0.49), Vpassive (r = -0.38), Fhypopneas (r = -0.46), and apnea index (r = -0.46; all p < .01) but not others. All measures detected greater collapsibility with male sex, age, and obesity, except Fhypopneas and apnea index which were not associated with obesity. Fhypopneas and apnea index were associated with oral appliance and atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin efficacy (both p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Among several candidates, event depth, Fhypopneas, and apnea index were identified as preferred pharyngeal collapsibility surrogates for use in the clinical arena.

Right ventricular end-diastolic volume and outcomes in exacerbations of COPD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Right ventricular (RV) volumes are crucial outcome determinants in pulmonary diseases. Little is known about the associations of RV volumes during hospitalized acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). We aimed to ascertain associations of RV end-diastolic volume indexed to body surface area (RVEDVI) during hospitalized AECOPD and its relationship with mortality in long-term follow-up. METHODS: This is a prospective observational cohort study (December 2013-November 2019, ACTRN12617001562369) using dynamic retrospective ECG-gated computed tomography during hospitalized AECOPD. RVEDVI was defined as normal or high using Framingham Offspring Cohort values. Cox regression determined the prognostic relevance of RVEDVI for death. RESULTS: A total of 148 participants (70 ± 10 years [mean ± SD], 88 [59%] men) were included, of whom 75 (51%) had high RVEDVI. This was associated with more frequent hospital admissions in the 12 months before admission (52/75 [69%] vs. 38/73 [52%], p = 0.04) and higher breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council score, 2.9 ± 1.3 vs. 2.4 ± 1.2, p = 0.007). During follow-up, high RVEDVI was associated with greater mortality (log-rank p = 0.001). In univariable Cox regression, increasing RVEDVI was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.02 per ml/m2 ; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03; p = 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, RVEDVI was independently associated with mortality (HR: 1.01 per ml/m2 ; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.03; p = 0.050) at a borderline significance level. Adding RVEDVI to three COPD mortality prediction systems improved model fit (pooled chi-square test [BODE: p = 0.05, ADO: p = 0.04, DOSE: p = 0.02]). CONCLUSION: In patients with hospitalized AECOPD, higher RV end-diastolic volume was associated with worse acute clinical parameters and greater mortality.

Breath-holding as a novel approach to risk stratification in COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable progress, it remains unclear why some patients admitted for COVID-19 develop adverse outcomes while others recover spontaneously. Clues may lie with the predisposition to hypoxemia or unexpected absence of dyspnea ('silent hypoxemia') in some patients who later develop respiratory failure. Using a recently-validated breath-holding technique, we sought to test the hypothesis that gas exchange and ventilatory control deficits observed at admission are associated with subsequent adverse COVID-19 outcomes (composite primary outcome: non-invasive ventilatory support, intensive care admission, or death). METHODS: Patients with COVID-19 (N = 50) performed breath-holds to obtain measurements reflecting the predisposition to oxygen desaturation (mean desaturation after 20-s) and reduced chemosensitivity to hypoxic-hypercapnia (including maximal breath-hold duration). Associations with the primary composite outcome were modeled adjusting for baseline oxygen saturation, obesity, sex, age, and prior cardiovascular disease. Healthy controls (N = 23) provided a normative comparison. RESULTS: The adverse composite outcome (observed in N = 11/50) was associated with breath-holding measures at admission (likelihood ratio test, p = 0.020); specifically, greater mean desaturation (12-fold greater odds of adverse composite outcome with 4% compared with 2% desaturation, p = 0.002) and greater maximal breath-holding duration (2.7-fold greater odds per 10-s increase, p = 0.036). COVID-19 patients who did not develop the adverse composite outcome had similar mean desaturation to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Breath-holding offers a novel method to identify patients with high risk of respiratory failure in COVID-19. Greater breath-hold induced desaturation (gas exchange deficit) and greater breath-holding tolerance (ventilatory control deficit) may be independent harbingers of progression to severe disease.

Acute oxygen use in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is guideline discordant.

Ample evidence supports an association between acute oxygen over-administration and harm. Australian and international guidelines consistently recommend lower oxygen saturation aims in populations with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed adherence to acute oxygen use guidelines and outcomes in hospitalised patients with COPD at a large Australian metropolitan hospital network.

Interstitial lung disease and obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common comorbidities in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Growing evidence highlights the significance of sleep disturbance on health outcomes in this population. The relationships between ILD and OSA are complex and possibly bidirectional, with multiple mechanisms postulated for the pathogenic and physiologic links. This review synthesizes current evidence and hypotheses regarding different aspects of the relationships between ILD and OSA, emphasizing the interactions between epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology.

Considering the Role of Adherence in New and Emerging Sleep Treatments.

There are several novel and emerging treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including new devices and pharmacotherapies. Long-term efficacy and adherence data for these interventions in the sleep context are lacking. Future studies exploring the long-term adherence and efficacy in novel and emerging treatments of OSA are required to fully understand the place of these treatments in treatment hierarchies. Such research also should aim to evaluate the use of these novel therapies in real-world clinical settings, because many of the studies performed to date have been done under closely monitored research populations and relatively small sample sizes.

A randomized controlled trial of oxygen therapy for patients who do not respond to upper airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who fail to respond to upper airway surgery may be successfully treated with supplemental oxygen and whether we could identify baseline physiologic endotypes (ie, collapsibility, loop gain, arousal threshold, and muscle compensation) that predict response to oxygen therapy. METHODS: We conducted a single night, randomized double-blinded cross over trial in which patients with OSA who failed to respond to upper airway surgery were treated on separate nights with oxygen therapy (4 L/min) or placebo (medical air). Effect of oxygen/air on OSA on key polysomnography outcomes were assessed: apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), AHI without desaturation (ie, flow-based AHI), arousal index, and morning blood pressure. OSA endotypes were estimated from the polysomnography signals to determine whether baseline OSA physiology could be used to predict response to oxygen therapy. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in AHI and flow-based AHI on oxygen vs placebo (flow-based AHI: 42.4 ± 21.5 vs 30.5 ± 17.1 events/h, P = .008). Arousal index was also reduced on oxygen vs placebo (41.1 ± 19.5 vs 33.0 ± 15.3 events/h, P = .006). There was no significant difference in morning blood pressure between oxygen and placebo. Although 7 of 20 individuals experienced a 50% reduction or greater in flow-based AHI on oxygen (responders), there was no difference in the baseline OSA endotypes (or clinical characteristics) between responders and nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that a proportion of patients who fail to respond to upper airway surgery for OSA respond acutely to treatment with supplemental oxygen. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; Name: Oxygen therapy for treating patients with residual obstructive sleep apnea following upper airway surgery; URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373566; Identifier: ACTRN12617001361392.