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.

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.