Effects of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on left ventricular diastolic function: a randomised, sham-controlled clinical trial

In this study, we investigated the effect of CPAP on LV diastolic function compared with sham treatment in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This 3-month prospective single-centre randomised sham-controlled trial analysed 52 patients with severe OSA. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either CPAP or sham treatment for 3 months. The main investigator and patients were masked to the trial randomisation. The primary end-point was change of early diastolic mitral annular (e') velocity over the 3-month period. Secondary end-points were pulse wave velocity (PWV), 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and variables of ventricular-vascular coupling at 3 months. After 3 months of follow-up, CPAP treatment significantly increased the e' velocity, and was greater than the sham treatment (0.65±1.70 versus –0.61±1.85 cm·s–1, p=0.014). The PWV, 24-h mean diastolic BP, night-time diastolic BP, arterial elastance index and ventricular-vascular coupling index after 3 months of follow-up decreased significantly in the CPAP group. In patients with severe OSA, CPAP treatment for 3 months improved LV diastolic function more than sham treatment, and was accompanied by improvements in arterial stiffness and ventricular-vascular coupling.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Sleep medicine Original Articles: Sleep Source Type: research