The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is high in the United States and is a major health concern. This disorder is linked to numerous heart, blood vessel and nervous system abnormalities, along with increased tiredness while performing exercise likely because of a reduced blood supply to skeletal muscles. The gold standard treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in many cases does not lead to significant improvements in health outcomes because the recommended number of hours of treatment per night is often not achieved. Thus, development of novel treatments to eliminate apnea and lessen the occurrence of associated health conditions is important. The investigators will address this mandate by determining if repeated exposure to mild intermittent hypoxia (MIH) reduces heart and blood vessel dysfunction and tiredness/ fatigue experienced while exercise performance. The investigators propose that exposure to MIH has a multipart effect. MIH directly targets heart and blood vessel associated conditions, while simultaneously increasing upper airway stability and improving sleep quality. These modifications may serve to directly decrease breathing episodes and may also serve to improve usage of CPAP. Independent of its effect, MIH may serve as an adjunctive therapy which provides another path to reducing heart and blood vessel abnormalities that might ultimately result in improvements in exercise capacity and reverse performance fatigue in individuals with OSA.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is high in the United States and is a major health concern. This disorder is linked to numerous heart, blood vessel and nervous system abnormalities, along with increased tiredness while performing exercise likely because of a reduced blood supply to skeletal muscles. The gold standard treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in many cases does not lead to significant improvements in health outcomes because the recommended number of hours of treatment per night is often not achieved. Thus, development of novel treatments to eliminate apnea and lessen the occurrence of associated health conditions is important. The investigators will address this mandate by determining if repeated exposure to mild intermittent hypoxia (MIH) reduces heart and blood vessel dysfunction and tiredness/ fatigue experienced while exercise performance. The investigators propose that exposure to MIH has a multipart effect. MIH directly targets heart and blood vessel associated conditions, while simultaneously increasing upper airway stability and improving sleep quality. These modifications may serve to directly decrease breathing episodes and may also serve to improve usage of CPAP. Independent of its effect, MIH may serve as an adjunctive therapy which provides another path to reducing heart and blood vessel abnormalities that might ultimately result in improvements in exercise capacity and reverse performance fatigue in individuals with OSA.
Intermittent Hypoxia-initiated Plasticity in Humans: A Multi-pronged Therapeutic Approach to Treat Sleep Apnea and Overlapping Co-morbidities
-
John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201-1916
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.
30 Years to 60 Years
ALL
No
VA Office of Research and Development,
Jason H Mateika, PhD MS BS, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI
2027-12-31