Improvement of baroreflex sensitivity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea following surgical treatment

Chih Cheng Huang, Wei Che Lin, Hsiu Ling Chen, Michael Friedman, Meng Chih Lin, Hsin Ching Lin*, Cheng Hsien Lu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Depressed baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) have been reported in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study aimed to determine if surgery can improve the clinical outcomes by investigating changes in BRS and in other cardiovascular autonomic parameters. Methods: Eighty-one OSA patients were enrolled. They were classified as mild OSA if their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 5-15, moderate OSA if their AHI was 15-30, and sever OSA if their AHI was > 30. Twenty-three subjects with AHI < 5 were recruited as controls. For patients who received surgery, polysomnography (PSG) and autonomic tests were evaluated upon enrollment and six-months after surgery. Results: The patient number for mild, moderate, and severe OSA was 22, 22, and 37, respectively. BRS on enrollment showed significant difference among the four groups, with the highest BRS in the control group, follow by the mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups. There were significant correlations between BRS and all PSG parameters. The depressed BRS significantly improved after surgery. Conclusions: Surgical modifications of the upper airways can improve the depressed BRS in OSA patients. Significance: The study offers the promise that surgical treatment for OSA not only improves the index of PSG, but also reduces the possibility of cardiovascular risk.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)544-550
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Neurophysiology
Volume127
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 01 01 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Keywords

  • Autonomic function
  • Baroreflex sensitivity
  • OSA surgery
  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Palato-pharyngoplasty

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