Respiratory physiology & neurobiology
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Respir Physiol Neurobiol · Feb 2017
Exercise tolerance in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH), before and after CPAP treatment: Effects of autonomic dysfunction improvement.
Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea (OSAH) is associated with decreased exercise tolerance and autonomic abnormalities and represents a risk for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of CPAP on cardiovascular autonomic abnormalities and exercise performance in patients with OSAH without changes in lifestyle and body weight during treatment. ⋯ CPAP-induced decrease of sympathetic hyperactivity is associated with better tolerance to the effort in OSAH patients that did not change their BMI and lifestyle, suggesting that OSAH limits per se the exercise capacity.