Neural respiratory drive and cardiac function in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome following initiation of non-invasive ventilation.

Background: Chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure (HRF) in obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is commonly treated using non-invasive ventilation (NIV). We hypothesised that treatment of OHS would improve neural respiratory drive index (NRDI) and cardiac function.

Methods: Fourteen patients (8 females) with OHS, who were admitted for initiation of domiciliary NIV, were prospectively studied.