Continuous positive airway pressure improves nocturnal baroreflex sensitivity of patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea

Objectives To determine the acute effects of continuous positive airway pre ssure (CPAP) on baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) for heart rate during sleep in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with obstructive sleep ap nea (OSA). Design and methods In eight CHF patients with OSA not previously treated wi th CPAP, spontaneous BRS was assessed during overnight polysomnography prio r to the onset of sleep, and during stage 2 non-rapid eye movement sleep (N REM) before, during and after application of CPAP. Results CPAP alleviated OSA and acutely increased the slope of BRS (median, 25%,75%) [from 3.9 (3.5, 4.8) to 6.2 (4.6, 26.2) ms/mmHg, P < 0.05], Incre ases in the slope of BRS persisted following withdrawal of CPAP [4.9 (4.3, 6.9) ms/mmHg, P < 0.05]. CPAP also lowered heart rate (from 81.3 +/- 4.9 to 76.0 +/- 5.7 bpm, P < 0.05), an effect which persisted after its withdrawa l (76.7 +/- 5.7 bpm, P < 0.05), Systolic blood pressure at the midpoint of the pressure range of BRS sequences fell while on CPAP (from 139 +/- 8 to 1 20 +/- 7 mmHg, P < 0.05), and remained lower following CPAP withdrawal (124 +/- 9 mmHg, P < 0.05). Conclusions In CHF patients with OSA, CPAP increases acutely BRS during sle ep, lowers heart rate and resets the operating point for BRS to a lower blo od pressure. These effects of CPAP persist after its withdrawal, suggesting that nocturnal CPAP therapy may cause sustained improvement in the neural control of heart rate. J Hypertens 2000, 18:1257-1262 (C) Lippincott Willia ms & Wilkins.