Vascular Response During Mental Stress in Sedentary and Physically Active Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives: To compare vascular function of sedentary (SED) versus physically active (ACTIVE) patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during rest and mental stress.

Methods: Patients with untreated OSA without other comorbidities were classified into SED and ACTIVE groups according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), forearm blood flow (FBF) (plethysmography), and forearm vascular conductance (FVC = FBF / mean BP × 100) were continuously measured at rest (4 minutes) followed by 3 minutes of mental stress (Stroop Color Word Test).