Baroreflex sensitivity during rest and pressor challenges in obstructive sleep apnea patients with and without CPAP.

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases sympathetic vasoconstrictor drive and reduces baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), the degree to which blood pressure changes modify cardiac output. Whether nighttime continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) corrects BRS in the awake state in OSA remains unclear. We assessed spontaneous BRS using non-invasive continuous BP and ECG recordings at rest and during handgrip and Valsalva challenges, maneuvers that increase vasoconstrictor drive with progressively higher BP, in untreated OSA (unOSA), CPAP-treated OSA (cpOSA) and healthy (CON) participants. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of 104 participants, 34 unOSA (age mean±std, 50.6±14.1years; Respiratory Event Index [REI] 21.0±15.3 events/hour; 22male), 31 cpOSA (49.6±14.5years; REI 23.0±14.2 events/hour; 22male; self-report 4+hours/night,5+days/week,6months), and 39 CON (42.2±15.0years; 17male), we calculated BRS at rest and during handgrip and Valsalva. Additionally, we correlated BP variability (BPV) with BRS during these protocols. RESULTS: BRS in unOSA, cpOSA and CON was, respectively (mean±sdv in ms/mmHg), at rest: 14.8±11.8, 15.8±17.0, 16.1±11.3; during handgrip 13.3±7.6, 12.7±8.4, 16.4±8.7; and during Valsalva 12.7±8.0, 11.5±6.6, 15.1±8.9. BRS was lower in cpOSA than CON for handgrip (p=0.04) and Valsalva (p=0.03). BRS was negatively correlated with BPV in unOSA during Valsalva and handgrip for cpOSA, both R=-0.4 (p=0.02). BRS was negatively correlated with OSA severity (levels: none, mild, moderate, severe) at R=-0.2 (p=0.04,n=104). CONCLUSIONS: As expected, BRS was lower and BPV higher in OSA during the pressor challenges, and disease severity negatively correlated with BRS. In this cross-sectional study, both CPAP-treated (self-reported) and untreated OSA showed reduced BRS, leaving open whether within-person CPAP improves BRS.

Beat-to-beat blood pressure variability in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular comorbidities in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are difficult to treat, perhaps due to autonomic dysfunction. We assessed beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) in OSA while considering other markers derived from electrocardiogram and continuous BP signals. METHODS: We studied 66 participants (33 participants with OSA: respiratory event index [mean ± SEM]: 21.1 ± 2.7 events/h; 12 females, aged 51.5 ± 2.4 years; body mass index: 32.8 ± 1.4 kg/m²; 33 healthy controls: 20 females; aged 45.3 ± 2.4 years; body mass index: 26.3 ± 0.7 kg/m²). We collected 5-minute resting noninvasive beat-to-beat BP and electrocardiogram values. From BP, we derived systolic, diastolic, and mean BP values, and calculated variability as standard deviations (systolic BPV, diastolic BPV, BPV). We also calculated diastole-to-systole time (time to peak). From the electrocardiogram, we derived QRS markers and calculated heart rate and heart rate variability. We performed a multivariate analysis of variance based on sex and group (OSA vs control), with Bonferroni-corrected post hoc comparisons (P ≤ .05) between groups. We calculated correlations of BPV with biological variables. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance showed effects of diastolic BPV and BPV in OSA; post hoc comparisons revealed high diastolic BPV and BPV only in female participants with OSA vs controls. QRS duration was higher in OSA, with post hoc comparisons showing the effect only in males. BPV correlated positively with heart rate variability in controls but not in participants with OSA. BPV correlated positively with time to peak in females with OSA and OSA combined, whereas there was no BPV-time-to-peak correlation in healthy participants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show sex-specific autonomic dysfunction reflected in beat-to-beat BP in OSA. The higher BPV may reflect poor baroreflex control or vascular damage in OSA, which are potential precursors to cardiovascular complications.