Effects of CPAP therapy withdrawal on exhaled breath pattern in obstructive sleep apnoea

OSA (obstructive sleep apnoea) stimulates sympathetic nervous activity and elevates resting HR (heart rate) and BP (blood pressure). In the present study in a cohort of 309 untreated OSA patients, the resting HR and BP during the daytime were correlated with AHI (apnoea/hypopnea index) and compared with patients with R389R (n=162), R389G (n=125) and G389G (n=22) genotypes of the β1-adrenoreceptor R389G polymorphism. We analysed the impact of the genotype on the decline of HR and BP in a subgroup of 148 patients (R389R, n=86; R389G, n=54; G389G, n=8) during a 6-month follow-up period under CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy during which cardiovascular medication remained unchanged. In untreated OSA patients, we found an independent relationship between AHI and resting HR (β=0.096, P<0.001), systolic BP (β=0.09, P=0.021) and diastolic BP (β=0.059, P=0.016). The resting HR/BP, however, did not differ among carriers with the R389R, R389G and G389G genotypes. CPAP therapy significantly reduced HR [−2.5 (−1.1 to −4.0) beats/min; values are mean difference (95% confidence intervals)] and diastolic BP [−3.2 (−1.5 to −5.0) mmHg]. The decline in HR was more significantly pronounced in the R389R group compared with the Gly389 carriers [−4.1 (−2.3 to −5.9) beats/min (P<0.001) compared with −0.2 (2.1 to −2.6) beats/min (P=0.854) respectively; Student's t test between groups, P=0.008]. Diastolic BP was decreased significantly (P<0.001) only in Gly389 carriers (R389G or G389G) compared with R389R carriers [−5.0 (−2.3 to −7.6) mmHg compared with −2.0 (0.4 to −4.3) mmHg respectively]. ANOVA revealed a significant difference (P=0.023) in HR reduction between the three genotypes [−4.1 (±8.4) beats/min for R389R, −0.5 (±9.3) beats/min for R389G and +1.9 (±7.2) beats/min for G389G]. In conclusion, although the R389G polymorphism of the β1-adrenoceptor gene did not influence resting HR or BP in untreated OSA patients, it may modify the beneficial effects of CPAP therapy on these parameters.

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From CPAP to tailored therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea

Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine ◽

10.4081/mrm.2018.212 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Peter A. Cistulli ◽

Kate Sutherland ◽

Kristina Kairaitis ◽

Brendon J. Yee

Keyword(s):

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea ◽

Treatment Effectiveness ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Sleep Apnoea ◽

Patient Acceptance ◽

Cpap Therapy ◽

Individual Level ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

The Individual

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that is associated with daytime symptoms and a range of comorbidity and mortality. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is highly efficacious at preventing OSA when in use and has long been the standard treatment for newly diagnosed patients. However, CPAP therapy has well recognised limitations in real world effectiveness due to issues with patient acceptance and suboptimal usage. There is a clear need to enhance OSA treatment strategies and options. Although there are a range of alternative treatments (e.g. weight loss, oral appliances, positional devices, surgery, and emerging therapies such as sedatives and oxygen), generally there are individual differences in efficacy and often OSA will not be completely eliminated. There is increasing recognition that OSA is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of risk factors, clinical presentation, pathophysiology and comorbidity. Better characterisation of OSA heterogeneity will enable tailored approaches to therapy to ensure treatment effectiveness. Tools to elucidate individual anatomical and pathophysiological phenotypes in clinical practice are receiving attention. Additionally, recognising patient preferences, treatment enhancement strategies and broader assessment of treatment effectiveness are part of tailoring therapy at the individual level. This review provides a narrative of current treatment approaches and limitations and the future potential for individual tailoring to enhance treatment effectiveness.

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