[Improvement of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome under CPAP therapy].
OBJECTIVE
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is regarded as a cardiovascular risk factor. Therefore, cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in patients with OSAS before and under treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was investigated.


METHODS
Cardiopulmonary exercise capacity was investigated in 36 patients with untreated OSAS using spiroergometry. A follow-up after at least 6 months was performed in 17 of these patients being treated with CPAP and in eight CPAP-neglecting patients, who served as controls.


RESULTS
Maximum oxygen uptake ( <V(.)>O(2max)) was significantly reduced in all 36 patients with untreated OSAS (17.68 +/- 6.1 ml/min/kg) compared with reference values (30.72 +/- 4.9 ml/min/kg; p < 0.001). After an average of 305.7 +/- 104.8 nights of CPAP therapy, <V(.)>O(2max) rose from 15.33 +/- 4.8 to 18.53 +/- 6.9 ml/min/kg, whereas <V(.)>O(2max) remained unchanged in controls. Further spirometric parameters of exercise capacity as well as arterial blood pressure were also significantly improved under CPAP therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiopulmonary exercise capacity is markedly reduced in patients with OSAS. Long-term CPAP therapy leads to a significant improvement of reduced cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in these patients.
Schlosser
Barbara Monika
BM
Medizinische Klinik III, Pneumologie, Allergologie Schlaf- und Beatmungsmedizin, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannsheil, Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität, Bochum.
Walther
Jörg Werner
JW
Rasche
Kurt
K
Bauer
Torsten Thomas
TT
Orth
Maritta
M
de Zeeuw
Justus
J
Schultze-Werninghaus
Gerhard
G
Duchna
Hans-Werner
HW
D000328:Adult; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010100:Oxygen